The Neverland Assassin
by bornxbackwards
Summary: Andrea Lux, the Assassin and only ever Lost Girl of Neverland, is bound to serve Peter Pan. She was brought to Neverland by Pan's shadow seconds before death. With the arrival of the Storybrooke group, will Andrea gravitate towards the undeniable allure of a certain pirate, or will she be inclined to stay when she begins to see a certain light in Pan's eyes?
1. Mermaid Lagoon

A young woman of about 19 years old stood forlornly on the white, sandy shores of Mermaid Lagoon dressed in tan breeches, a torn and ragged cotton shirt, and dark tanned leather riding boots. Her appearance of youth concealed the years of physical and mental travail and tribulation induced by the litany of the lengthened days on an island where time remained motionless. The beautiful young woman's wavy yet messy brunette hair was pulled back in a tangled braid, revealing her delicate features: long, dark eyelashes, high cheekbones, plum, plump lips, and warm honey brown eyes filled and congealed with an ambience of untold melancholy and gloom. Andrea Lux the Assassin of Neverland.

She was otherwise known as simply "Andy" to those on the island; Pan insisted on the other Lost Boys addressing her only by this name. It only seemed an apposite fitting since she was the first and only ever Lost Girl of Neverland in a coterie of Lost Boys. Her wispy eyelashes fluttered, closing and obscuring her bright, honey eyes. She focused her energy and thoughts on a single object, which she needed in order to commence her mission.

_I believe._ Her heart pounded as the blood coursing through her veins travelled to the plains of her cheeks, warming and coloring them a rosy hue, which was unseen due to the darkness of night. Heart pounding, she felt a cool breeze greet her face; the magic of Neverland flowed through her veins and streamed throughout her body. The corners of her mouth pulled upwards when she felt the object form upon the palm of her right hand. Eyes wide open and ready, Andy firmly gripped the wooden handle of her sharpened steel dagger with her frozen fingers, which were still callused and raw from a day spent hauling boxes into the camp from this month's shipment. Sometimes, Andy wished that Pan would realize that her job title as "assassin" was not synonymous with the duties of a pack mule. Nevertheless, she released an agitated sigh as she gazed sharply with hardened, deep brown eyes at the ship docked in the Mermaid Lagoon, her wispy frozen breath disappearing into the darkened sky. She was ready.

Night had fallen, blanketing her in the safety of the shadows. Only the pale moon radiated a ghostly, lonely light over the black waves of the lagoon. Pulling a forest green hood over her tangled brunette locks, she disembarked her wooden row boat from the lagoon's sandy shores. It was time to carry out her mission. The mermaids tended to be active at night, but luckily Pan had requested them to move further out to sea for tonight. In actuality, rather than requesting, Pan threatened. No one, including Andy, ever questioned or challenged his authority because doing so would result in either torture or death.

Silently, Andy rowed herself to the side of the ship which was concealed in the darkness of the shadows. In all its glory, it was the Jolly Roger. Andy remembered seeing this ship frequently years ago when its captain was in contract with Pan. By contract, she really meant that Pan had some sort of leverage over this captain in order to carry out his tasks for whatever master plan he always had. Andy never had the opportunity to formally meet this captain, but she remembered his defined face and brilliant yet empty blue eyes through the safety of the Neverland jungle's camouflage. However, she remembered his voice most of all; it was deep and demanded attention. It never failed to send chills down her spine. How could a complete stranger have that effect on her? She wondered why Pan had never let her associate herself with this captain. Perhaps, this was her chance.

Gracefully, she hauled herself up the side of the ship like the expert she was. Years in Neverland and time spent climbing its myriad of trees quickened this physical process. Pulling her head above the side railings, she tuned her ear in to the conversation on deck. She could see a group of about five, drenched in salty ocean water from their ordeal out on sea. Andy had watched their predicament from the sands of the beach with a humored smile across her face. It was a rookie mistake, pissing off a mermaid.

Despite the darkness of night, she spotted him right away. Her throat closed up from excitement, and her cheeks warmed and brightened. The captain stood out in all black leather. Nothing about him had changed. His messy black hair and scruff remained identical as did his hard demeanor. The only thing that seemed different was his blue eyes; they weren't as empty and forlorn as Andy remembered them to be.

"Why the hell did you decide to dock in Mermaid Lagoon? If you couldn't recall, we nearly died because of one!" a woman with medium length brunette hair berated at the captain in leather at the wheel, poison and ice dripping from her voice.

"Last time I checked, I don't think you were the captain of the ship. Would you have preferred us docking in Cannibal Cove?" the captain at the wheel spat. "If you didn't recall, we nearly died because you provoked the damn beast!" His dark blue eyes were furious and filled with fire. Andy remembered Pan's association with this certain one. In truth, he was no sailor; he was a pirate, an infamous one to be exact – Captain Hook. She could determine this fact from the steel hook serving as a replacement for an absent left hand. It smiled menacingly under the pale glow of the moonlight. "Let's keep in mind who's been to Neverland before and knows the island just as well as the demon who inhabits it."

"Enough of this!" a woman with a pixie-cut hairstyle pleaded. "I am sick and tired of always fighting."

"Listen little miss doe-eyed devil," the feisty brunette seethed. "We wouldn't have had this problem if you weren't so damn righteous."

"Regina, I'd like to remind you of who actually started the problem. Killing her was not the solution!" the pixie-cut woman criticized.

"Oh I'm sorry if I'm trying to get things done around here," Regina mocked. " I could say worse about the rest of you. And stop acting like you're the victim. You've been the problem since day one!"

"You are so hateful. You are absolutely wretched!" the pixie cut woman spat, with every ounce of her resentment towards Regina filling her words and soul.

"Thank you!" Regina laughed loudly.

"Stop it!" a woman with blonde hair demanded from the heated group. Silence and tension filled the ocean air. "I would like to remind everyone that we nearly died because of our differences. We may not like each other. Villain or hero, it doesn't matter. I am here for one thing only, and that is to get my son back. So, if you're with me then we're going to do this my way. No magic. None of that. We need to stop believing in magic and start believing in one another." The group remained silent.

"Fine," Regina grumbled, pushing her way past the blonde as she made her way down the deck, heels clicking against the wood of the ship.

"Aye," agreed Hook and followed after her and the pixie cut woman. The blonde and the other man remained on the upper deck.

"Thanks Emma," the man started. The tension in the air was gone. "You know you're a natural leader."

"Am I?" Emma questioned, obvious doubt filling her voice. "There's just so many expectations being the savior, and I absolutely no idea where to start or what to do."

"Hey, don't worry about it. No one ever said the savior had to be perfect," the man comforted the distressed blonde. "Leadership isn't something you can rehearse. Take your mother and I for example. It's not like we expect to know the answer to every problem existing out there. It's hope that keeps us going."

Emma slightly rolled her eyes. Although she appreciated her father's help, she couldn't stand to hear one more second of all this hope crap. "Ok, thanks David," she said curtly, quickly standing up from the crate she was sitting on to join the rest of the group in the quarter. David sighed sadly and followed in after his daughter. He was trying so hard to reach out to her.

_So this was the savior that Pan was so interested in. _Andy tilted her head, confused. _What was so special about this blonde? She was no practicer of magic. As a product of true love, the strongest magic in existence, I expected her to be a bit more impressive. _For a split second, Andy felt a twinge of guilt for possibly ruining a nice family moment, but this feeling was quickly axed. She didn't have time to spend worrying about the condition of another. Neverland was all about survival; thus, she couldn't afford to look after anyone else but herself. She may be selfish, but she was also smart.

While everyone was situated in the quarter, preparing themselves for the disembark, Andy took the opportunity to board the ship. She stealthily made her way over to the door of the quarter and placed four barrels in front, barricading the entrance. Making her way to the pole of the sail, she pulled out a piece of parchment from the inside of her cloak and posted it using her dagger, a message from Pan. She had to work quickly as she heard the voices of the group returning to audio. Pulling a single match from her headband, she smirked and dropped it on the rope attached to the four barrels of gunpowder barricading the entrance to the Captain's Quarter. Only four barrels wouldn't kill anyone. Hopefully, this wouldn't damage the handsome pirate's face too much. She made her way back to the railings of the ship and hoisted herself over, waiting for the spectacle to begin.

She listened to the banging of someone's hand against the door of the quarter.

"What the hell?" Emma's muffled voice said. "Hook, unlock the door."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you love, but why would I lock it? If I could open it, I would," Hook responded, continuing to try and pry the door open. "Somebody's barricaded it." He let out a frustrated sigh and chuckled darkly.

"Somebody's on board? That's impossible," she heard Regina's voice interject.

"Then he knows we're here," the other male's voice, David, commented. On that note, the barrels detonated, releasing a plume of bright orange flames and scraps of wood into the cold Neverland air, disrupting the scene of darkness in the act of night. The glow of the explosion sent a wave of friendly warmth to Andy's cold face, brightening her eyes and sending an electricity of excitement throughout her body. The explosion sent a wave over the upper deck, swaying the entire ship so violently that Andy had to bear onto the railings tightly to avoid a plunge into the black ocean.

Waiting for the flames to dwindle down, Andy counted to three and jumped over the railings, returning to the deck of the ship. She surveyed the damage, taking pride in her destruction. _Not bad Lux. Not bad. _Heavy smoke and delicate embers filled the salty air. It was satisfying to carry out the duties that were in her actual job description. Small, separate fires had started around scattered pieces of wood across the deck, spreading an opaque black layer of smoke over the upper deck of the ship. Before concluding her messenger mission, she made her way to the wheel of the ship, acquiring the one item Pan promised her if she completed her assigned task – the magic compass. This compass had the power to navigate one throughout different realms, meaning that one could leave Neverland. In short, it was Andy's one-way ticket out of Neverland. Pan knew that Andy wanted her freedom more than anything, and of course, he would never fulfill that wish of hers, but he had to maintain his authority over her, even if it meant feeding her small fragments of false hope.

Lost in a cloud of success and confidence, Andy turned away from the wheel, bumping straight into the firm chest of a certain pirate. She staggered back and let out a gasp of surprise, but he grabbed her and kept her in his possession with his arm wrapped around her small frame. She shielded her face from his cerulean gaze. Hopefully the layer of black smoke would conceal her true identity.

"Well, well," he chuckled darkly. "Who do we have here?" He traced his hook down her cheek and neck. Andy flinched at the cold metal against her warm skin. His hook pulled her hood down, the orange glow of the flames revealing her young and beautiful face. His eyebrows furrowed. This was no Lost Boy. This was no assassin. "You're a girl."

Instantly vexed and offended, Andy met his puzzled expression with narrowed and fiery brown eyes, fully revealing herself with a certain pride. "Woman," she corrected and took the fleeting opportunity to grasp her escape. She brought her knee up with a tremendous amount of force to the captain's manhood. Hook let out a pained cry and released his grip on Andy, falling to the wooden deck of his ship with a loud thud. High off adrenaline, Andy jumped onto the railing and flashed a charming smile to the pained pirate. "Good luck captain," she grinned sweetly before plunging into the dark, unfathomable waves of Mermaid Lagoon.

Cold and wet, Andy found her way through the Neverland jungle to Pan's compound. She followed the rowdy yells and cheers of the Lost Boys through the darkness of the jungle. She felt the warmth of the fire caress her cold and wet face as she neared the camp. Making her way to the fire, Andy was greeted by a certain Lost Boy with a jagged pink scar over his right eye.

"What do you want Felix?" Andy demanded, vexed. "I'm finished for today. You can tell your boy Pan that I'm too busy for whatever other plans he had for me tonight."

"Oh but he won't like that at all. Not one bit," Felix returned with a bit of amusement in his monotone voice.

"Does it look like I care?" she asked, flashing a sour smile at the blonde. She sat on a nearby log and began to dry herself off.

"You do realize your contract, don't you?" Felix questioned slowly. He inched in closer to her territory, testing her authority. He eyed her dangerously. "Or did all that salt water in your brain make you stupid?"

"At least I'm not pathetic," she shot back, eyes burning with fury. She loathed when the pretentious git questioned her abilities. She could take him down within a single swipe.

"Never said you were, tiger."

"Wow. You really are relentless in irritating me. I admire your tenacity," she commented sarcastically.

"Hmm," he grinned confidently. "Pan's expecting you."

"As always. Like I didn't know that," she snapped. "I don't need you reminding me every second of every day. I already know, so can you just stay the hell out of my business."

"Woah, calm down tiger. No need to act incendiary. I'm only relaying the obvious," he chuckled. Sometimes it was difficult to restrain herself from placing her hand around Felix's neck and squeezing as hard as she could. Pan would definitely terminate her if she killed his right-hand man. "Besides, as Pan's most trusted Lost Boy, it _is _my business. If it soothes your woes, I'm only inquiring about your quest towards self-deprivation. You should be indebted for my concern and munificence."

"Oh so now you think you're a big boy now because you learned some big words from the big boy dictionary?" she mocked. She literally wanted to take that imaginary dictionary and slap him across the face with it. Anything was possible in Neverland, so the idea of imagining up a dictionary didn't seem like such a bad idea... "From where I'm sitting, your throne means nothing to me. You're no king of Neverland; you're nothing but a puppet of Pan's. Yet here you are, parading through the camp like you're some worshipped god. I see right through you Felix, and I absolutely refuse to be enamored by any adulation. Where's your dictionary now? You're just like the rest of us Felix: lost and unloved."

Smirk disappearing from his scarred face, he grabbed her arm forcefully and pulled her ear near his mouth. "You do know what happens when you disobey Pan. Don't you?" he whispered threateningly into her ear. "Do we want a repeat of your first time here? Huh? Lost girl." He shoved her forcefully from his presence and walked away to lean on a nearby tree. "I hope that you don't forget your place in this world sweetheart," he called out to her across the fire. "I may be Pan's Lost Boy, but at least I'm not Pan's slave."

Hot, angry tears threatened to spill from Andy's eyes, but she forced them to remain still. Felix eyed her challengingly, hoping to see her break her tough attitude. He loved seeing her squirm under pressure. She could act as indifferent as she liked, but Felix saw right through the seams of her facade; she was weak.

"A!" she heard a voice call from the highest tree house in the compound. Andy sighed sadly, her fiery spirit numbing and descending back into its cold cage. As always, it was time. Felix grinned triumphantly and mockingly at the Lost Girl. She wasn't as tough as most people thought. As mentioned, he saw into her hard, fortified brown eyes and found a certain and peculiar emptiness, which meant that she had been broken a long time ago.

Andy climbed the ladder of the tallest tree in the compound. Awaiting at the top balcony with a smug smile on his face was her boss, the boy she was indentured to, the demon himself - Peter Pan.

"Quite a display tonight A; truly I am impressed," he praised with a mischievous gleam in his eye as Andy followed him into his surprisingly neat room. "I saw the beautiful fireworks from the comfort of my own balcony. Think you can surprise me further tonight?"

Andy's stomach churned with anxiety. Was she scared of Pan? Absolutely not. Not anymore, anyways. Usually, they were both accustomed to her acting hostile towards him and his immature innuendos. She wasn't afraid of speaking her mind in front of him, but she was always cautious about causing an obstruction in whatever scheme he had mapped out. Like she said, no one ever questioned Pan's authority. However, despite her years trapped in Neverland and bound to Pan's bidding, she never grew to enjoy being in his presence; why would she? He was unpredictable like a winter storm. She moistened her lips to speak, but her throat was scratchy and dry from the nervousness of her request. "I think I'm all out of tricks for tonight. Do you think I can have the night off since I carried out my task with such success?" Behind her back, she had two fingers crossed tightly.

Amused, he furrowed his brows and eyed her, observing her with curiosity. "Come on A. How long have you been here?"

"A long time," she answered vaguely, quietly. Wasn't that obvious enough? He began to circle her, like a lion surveying its prey.

"A long time," he repeated with a grin. "And you always tend to forget our agreement."

_Yeah right. It's not necessarily an agreement if force is involved. _

"Pan," she began.

"I've always admired your manners to stand on ceremony," he observed. "A long time and you still call me Pan? Come on A. I think you and I both know that our relationship extends beyond the formality of last names." He began to walk towards, increasing the beat of her heart out of uncertainty of the future events. "I saved your life A. You've been my trusted partner in crime. Out of anyone else on the island, you've never failed to impress me." Andy felt the wall against her back; she was trapped. "And you've got fire; I like fire. After all these years we've spent together, I highly value our relationship." _Sure because I'm your slave and you're my master._ "I'm not just the Lost Boy, Pan, or The Pan." Pan's face neared hers. His darkened green eyes bored into hers with a devilish glint. Andy's breathing hitched and the corner of Pan's mouth curved upwards into a triumphant smirk. "I'm Peter. Peter Pan."


	2. The Moors

_Past_

"_Well, well," the witch smiled sinisterly at the two royals standing tensely in front of her. "There's no need to fear me darlings. I'm only here on the grounds of peace on this joyous day with the presentation of a gift."_

_ "We don't want anything from you," the queen spat, clutching the shoulder of her husband protectively. "Leave Maleficent. You are not welcome in this kingdom."_

_ "This kingdom?" she questioned, raising an arched brow. She eyed the queen carefully, circling the royal couple slowly and daringly. "You mean the kingdom that was mine? The one that your people took from me when they chained me down and burned off my wings?" She approached the two closely, looking at them with bitter eyes. "I am only reclaiming what was stolen from me."_

_ Maleficent paused, enamored by the intense buzzing coming from the queen's presence. She surveyed the queen's fearful eyes. She took a step towards her, but her husband, the king, stepped in front of her, facing the witch. "Don't you dare touch her."_

_Coming to the realization of their secret, the fallen fairy chuckled darkly. "Well, what do we have here?" She eyed the queen's belly with curiosity. "Or should I say who?" she grinned._

"_Guards!" the king demanded. A swarm of armed guards entered the throne room, but it was too late; the dark fairy had disappeared in a cloud of green smoke. They were safe, for now._

"_Stefan," the queen muttered in a trembling voice, tears filling her brown eyes. She collapsed against her husband, clutching her stomach with fear. The king held his queen in his arms, powerless against the reality of the situation._

"_Shhh… Leah. We're going to be alright," King Stefan whispered into his wife's ear, comforting her. _

Present

A gentle morning breeze danced through the open room, inviting white curtains in its daylight waltz. Birds chirped their morning hymn, shyly hidden in the verdant canopy. Other Neverland creatures arose lazily from their slumber in the dark jungle. Rays of warm daylight streamed through the open window of the treehouse, kissing the soft, tanned skin of a fair maiden, bare and beautiful, hidden beneath a mess of white blankets and entwined limbs on a sea of pillows and mattress - Neverland's beloved and bright flower.

Andy opened her tired brown eyes, taken aback by the intensity of the daylight. She let out an exhausted groan, stretching out her sore limbs. Her eyes widened in fear and embarrassment as she remembered the events of the prior night when she felt a pair of two strong arms wrapped around her bare torso. Turning her head to her left, she saw the sleeping face of Peter Pan, lost in dreams, a gentle devil. Blood rushed to her cheeks, discomfiting her entire body. Feeling her soft body tense up, the corner of Pan's mouth pulled up into a smug smirk. "No need to feel insecure A; it's nothing I haven't seen," he commented. His voices was dry and groggy, and his hair was messy.

Andy let out an irritated sigh. "Shut up Pan," she spat, quickly jumping out of the warm bed to find her clothes. Pan took the opportunity to prop himself up and entertain himself with Andy's temper.

"You were unhinged last night," he grinned, placing his arms behind his head on the headboard of the bed.

"Shut up Pan," Andy repeated with more force. "We don't do morning talks, remember?"

"I wouldn't consider this a 'morning talk.' It's not like we're cuddling or anything," he defended.

Pulling her shirt over her body, she glared back at him. "It's morning. We're talking. Hence, 'morning talk.' I'd rather not."

She found her pants and quickly pulled them up, not wanting to deal with Pan's conventional innuendos this morning. The entire situation was embarrassing enough.

"So what are you doing today?" Pan asked casually.

"Whatever you have planned for me," she answered robotically.

A satisfied grin stretched onto Pan's face. "That's more like it A. Well, today I'm going to pay a little visit to our Dark One. It looks like he's travelling separately from the pack, the lone wolf. Figures."

Andy rolled her eyes. "And what is it that I'm doing today?"

"Surveillance," Pan decided. "I know you like that sort of stuff. Our cute, little Storybrooke group is having trouble locating my compound. I want you to keep tabs on them and Hook; I'm interested in offering him a little deal. When I'm ready, and when you're ready, I need you to do a little acting."

"Got it," she said simply. She began to climb down the ladder.

"And A," he called out before she disappeared into the day.

"Yes."

"Please don't get caught," he requested. "I don't want to be cleaning up any other unnecessary messes."

_Past_

"_You're going to be having twins. Two girls," the Blue Fairy reported as the blue glow on the queen's enlarged stomach faded away._

_Tears of joy filled the king and queen's eyes, hands enclosed in one another. "My daughters," the king managed, kissing his queen atop of her blonde head._

"_Congratulations-" the Blue Fairy started, but was interrupted with the loud arrival of her apprentices. They wore worried looks upon their faces. "Flora, what is it?"_

_The red fairy, the leader Flora, spoke first. "It's Maleficent." The eyes of the Blue Fairy grew wide as well as the king and queen._

"_She's planning a curse," Merryweather, the blue fairy, added. Queen Leah brought a hand to her mouth, letting out a muffled and pained sob, collapsing into the shoulder of King Stefan._

"_A sickness curse," Fauna, the green fairy, said. The three fairies lowered their heads sadly, allowing the king and queen to express their woes and sorrows._

"_How long?" King Stefan demanded, in a shaky, uneven voice._

"_Until the birth of your twin daughters," Flora concluded._

"_What else do you know?"_

"_Maleficent plans to take the two of your daughters," Fauna muttered in a grave voice. "She wants to take away your happiness."_

"_NO!" Queen Leah roared in a broken voice. She would not allow the witch to win. She did not care about what happened to her. So long as her two daughters were safe and happy, she would be happy. "Stefan, there has to be another way. I don't care! I don't care! We need to ensure that our daughters will be safe."_

"_What is that we need to do?" he asked his queen._

"_We need to go to him."_

Present

Andy nonchalantly made her way through the Neverland jungle, trying to enjoy her stroll as much as she could in order to purge the events of last night from her mind. Yes, she was Pan's slave. However, as much as she detested everything about it, she had absolutely no power in possession in order to remedy the situation; she was trapped under Pan's thumb.

Her mind drifted off into an array of scattered thoughts. How long had she been in. Neverland? She was 19; she knew that much. But how long had she been 19? She had lost track. She couldn't even remember her life before Neverland because she had invested so much of her time thinking about her future life outside of the island once she escaped. Despite being titled "Lost Girl," how could she be lost if she still had the hope of leaving? Not once had she heard the eerie melody of Pan's pipes, no matter how much force he and Felix used against her to manifest the broken and Lost Girl inside of her. She had not given up.

She began to step silently when she heard the distinct murmur of voices of the Storybrooke group. Finding a nearby tree which overlooked a clearing, she began to climb. Nearing the first branch, she began to see their small settlement; it was rather empty. She could only see the pixie cut woman, her husband David, and Emma Swan. Regina and Hook were absent. She could see that their clothes were slightly singed from Andy's little seaside spectacle. She assumed that they avoided any large casualties due to magic, most likely Regina's now that Andy knew she was the Evil Queen back in the Enchanted Forest.

Andy listened in on the conversation between David and his wife. "Snow, I don't trust Hook. Once a pirate, always a pirate." _Snow White. _

"David, I know," she said, holding David's arm. "But we have to trust Emma. She's right. We're not going to get anywhere if we don't work together. We have to have hope in her."

David smiled weakly down at Snow and nodded. "You're right. But that doesn't mean I'm going to go around playing patty cake with him." Snow smiled at David and rolled her eyes.  
>Emma emerged from the lush greenery staring at a piece of parchment, looking confused and troubled. Snow and David immediately went to her side. "Emma what is it?" Snow asked, worry written upon her face. "What is that?"<p>

Emma snapped out of her dazed trance and met the worried eyes of her parents. "Pan," she said in a low voice, paranoid that he was somewhere watching her every moves. Andy remained dead silent from her perch in the tree.

"He gave this to you?" David asked, eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the blank parchment. "I don't understand."

"He told me it's a map," Emma said.

"But it's blank," Snow pointed out.

"He said it would show me the way to Henry once I stopped denying who I truly was," she said in a frustrated sigh. She walked away from her parents, finding a spot to sit on log in front of the flameless fire pit.

"And who are you?" Snow asked, joining Emma on the log.

Emma looked genuinely confused. "I don't know. I don't know who I am. I'm just Emma," she said in a small, disappointed voice. "I'm just Emma."

"It's okay," David comforted. "Just take your time; we won't pressure you." The two walked away from the blonde, who concentrated on the blank parchment in her hands. She closed her eyes and mumbled incoherent words. Andy leaned in closer to try and listen, but her foot lost its ground on the tree branch, causing Andy to fall from her safe haven onto the cold Neverland soil. Taken aback from the impact of the fall, her head swirled with black clouds as her dark eyelashes fluttered to a close.

_Past_

_ The Queen held the hand of the King tightly, as if she were about to lose consciousness. They walked briskly, hoods over their heads, through the dark hallway whose walls were adorned with bizarre and abnormal decorations ranging from a single lock of hair to the helm of sword. Their eyes were glued to the dark wooden floor below them, one step at a time. _

_ "I don't think this is a good idea, my queen," King Stefan pleaded, not daring to meet her gaze._

_ "Stefan, what other options do we have?" she disclosed in a hushed tone. "We have none. We're doing what's best for our daughters."_

_ King Stefan couldn't muster a response, for he was frozen with the uncertainty of the future storm. He only bowed his head sadly and retreated back to silence. _

_ They reached the end of the dark hallway. Queen Leah raised an unsteady hand to the cherry oak door, but stopped when a loud, snickering voice filled the room. "Come on in dearies! Don't be shy," the high voice laughed as the cherry oak door swung open, revealing a green, scaly man with large reptile-like eyes, twiddling his long, spidery fingers in a feverish manner. "Rumplestiltskin, at your service!" The reptile man bowed theatrically with a grand maniacal grin stretched upon his scaly face. _

_ The two royals observed the strange man in both wonder and horror. Neither one dared to speak first. _

_ Rumplestiltskin danced around the frozen pair, humored by their fear. "Well I'm not gonna bite if that's what you're thinking. I've just finished my supper," he sang, twirling around them. "Oh, I see what you're playing at here. Business is business. Well, let's get to it. How can I, Rumplestiltskin, be of service?" _

_ Breathless, Queen Leah spoke first. "We want to make a deal," she stated firmly with no hint of fear or shakiness in her voice. _

_A devilish glint flashed across the reptile's darkened eyes. "And what sort of deal are we talking about dearie?" he inquired. _

_The Queen inhaled sharply. "We want your protection."_

"_Do I look like a fairy godmother to you?" he sneered, narrowing his large eyes into slits. _

"_No," the Queen said, taken aback. "There's this witch, and she's planned an evil curse to destroy our kingdom."_

"_Your kingdom," he articulated, savoring the words slowly like a fine, aged wine. "Well, I am honored to hold such royalty within my palace!"_

_Light filled the Queen's brown eyes. "So you'll do it."_

"_Eh, no," Rumplestiltskin said bluntly, turning away from the two abruptly to pace back and forth across his grand dining hall._

"_What? What do you mean?" the Queen demanded, following after him. _

"_This curse, what is this curse?" he inquired, still pacing._

"_An illness curse," the Queen responded, observing him with pleading eyes._

"_An illness curse, you say," he repeated, still pacing. "An illness curse to sweep the entire land of your kingdom-" His train of thoughts halted when he heard a furious buzzing sound coming from the Queen. He turned slowly and looked into her eyes, searching furiously for an answer. He closed his eyes and lowered his head, nearing the belly of the Queen. "Oh joy!" he exclaimed when the Queen's secret manifested itself in front of him. "You are with child!" The King stepped in front of the Queen protectively while Rumplestiltskin giggled with mad delight. "Oh this is absolutely splendid! Terrific!" He waved his arms into the air fervently. "Well, with this news, I have good news for you!" A look of hope spread across the faces of the King and Queen. "I can offer my protection services to you." The Queen let out a cry of joy as tears of happiness filled her soft eyes. "But, there is a catch," he warned in a grave voice, holding up a spidery, green finger. _

"_What is it?" the King demanded, holding the silenced Queen in his arms._

"_I cannot offer my protection services to all. After all, I am the only Dark One," he giggled, waving his fingers like the legs of a spider. _

"_What does this mean?" the Queen muttered._

"_This means that I can only protect a selected number of individuals; I can only protect the two most important people in the kingdom."_

_Hope fell from the King and Queen's faces. To abandon their people in a time of crisis would mean to abandon their responsibilities as leaders of the kingdom. However, to stand by their people would mean to stand by them in death and deny their daughters the opportunity of life. Either decision was out of selfishness, but which one was to the extreme degree?_

"_I'll let you two talk," Rumplestiltskin said, bowing and retreating to the red arm chair by his fireplace._

"_Leah," King Stefan began._

"_Our daughters," Queen Leah mustered out in a dry voice. "Our daughters."_

"_But what about our people?"_

"_But our daughters." She couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence because the thought of her daughters never living to see the sunshine or the other beauties of the world sickened her stomach. "We can't do this to our daughters."_

"_But we can't do this to our people either Leah," King Stefan._

"_There has to be another way."_

"_You said there was no other way, but the way of the Dark One Leah! You told me we were deprived of all other options."_

_The Queen remained silent, torn by the reality of the impending situations. She closed her eyes, allowing the tears to spill and pour down her beautiful, sad face. "A curse can be broken."_

"_What?"_

"_Any curse can be broken," she whispered._

"_How?"_

"_The most powerful magic of all - true love."_

Present

Andy groaned when she began to stir from the blackness of her fall. Her head pounded intensely like an archaic tribal drum during the performance of a passionate ritual. She felt that her arms were behind her back, entwined in rope by an obvious expert. She inwardly laughed at her predicament. This sort of thing was supposed to be her job, after all.

Eyes still shut, she listened to her surroundings to assess the situation. Directly in front of her, she could hear the crunching of twigs and dead leaves by a pair of boots. She didn't dare to open her eyes just yet, at least until her bindings were loosened by another expert.

She waited until the right moment, and unveiled the curtains to her warm, honey orbs, absorbing the intensity of the daylight streaming through the seams of the green canopy. Brown met blue in an intense gaze. "Good morning Sleeping Beauty," the pirate jested, revealing a striking white smile. If Andy wasn't in her current situation, her insides might have done a flip. Aware of his abilities and charisma, he gave the fiery brunette a wink. "Did you have a nice sleep?"

Brown eyes narrowed at the captain, she proclaimed in a firm voice. "I am no princess."

Hook chuckled. She had fire. "Of course not, Pan's girl."

Blood boiling at his bold statement, she stated in a deadly, low voice, "I am not Pan's girl."

Enamored by her spunk, he moved closer to the brunette sitting against the tree, bending down to meet her eye-level. He brought her face to his and observed her features. Andy inhaled sharply and held the air in her lungs, heart beat racing at his warm proximity. She met his blue gaze boldly, not faltering. His black hair was tousled and messy, and the black scruff on his face had thickened. Despite the dirt, her beauty radiated brightly through the grimy layer. He lightly traced a finger down her jaw and danced a single finger through the ropes of her dark braid, making her cringe from the electric current flowing between their two bodies. "Touchy," he quipped, standing up.

Andy quietly released the breath she had kept in captivity. "What do you want?" she demanded, trying her best not to sound breathless or pathetic.

"I only wanted to finally meet the infamous Lost Girl of Neverland, the assassin," he said in an innocent voice, flashing her the puppy dog look.

Andy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Alright. You've met me face to face. Now what?" she questioned, arching her eyebrow at him.

"You blew up my ship," he stated in a small voice, humor coating his telegraphic words.

"I was only doing what needed to be done," Andy defended, eyes narrowing.

"And blowing up my ship was absolutely mandatory?" he asked incredulously.

"I don't make the orders; I carry them out."

"So you can't tell Pan, 'No. Sorry. Don't feel like it'?"

"Not if I don't want to be a dead assassin," she said with a deadpanned look.

_This girl was interesting._ His grin had not faltered. "Now, you give me some answers."

"But I asked the first question. Formality and code of honor, captain," she spat. "What do you want? Why am I here?"

"Oh, so my reputation precedes me?" he asked, pride clear in his voice.

"Answer my question," Andy demanded stoically, looking at him with a dead look. She might as well have just left by now since her bindings were loose; listening to him augment his ego was not on Andy's bucket list of things to do before she left Neverland once and for all.

"I love the rigidness to the sound of that. Chills. Alright love, code of honor says I shall," he replied, giving a small bow.

"What do you want?" she repeated.

"I wanted to meet you," he said, holding his right hand over his heart.

"Shut up," she scoffed.

"Well, it's true."

"Partially."

"Now onto my question: Why did you blow up my ship?"

"Simple. Pan asked me to," she answered simply, a satisfied smirk spreading across her face. "A personal message from Pan himself."

"Ambiguity will get us nowhere, love," he tested, eyes slightly narrowing now that she had the upper hand in this little game of theirs.

"And questioning the negligible problem will achieve nothing but frustration," she shot back, smug. "You started it captain." Hook wetted and pursed his lips, hand on his hips. _She knows how to play. Pan's trained her well. _"Now, if we actually want to achieve something effectual, then I suggest you either change your game board or get another piece because I might die of boredom."

"Oh we wouldn't want to waste such a beautiful face, would we?"

"Hm. Charming," she commented.

"No that's David," Hook said, slightly humored.

"Then what are you?"

"I'm the devilishly handsome pirate," he grinned broadly. Andy rolled her eyes. "I see your angle, assassin. Nice try at my game, but flattery will get us nothing but inflated confidences. Would you like me to untie you love? Or do you prefer this sort of situation?"

Andy smirked at the pirate. "No need, love," she mocked with a sweet smile. "I untied myself ten minutes ago." She pulled her arms from behind her back, revealing the loose bindings. She lazily tossed them to the side and folded her arms across her chest with a smug smile. "But I'll stay to hear you out."

Hook laughed and shook his head. "My, my, we've got ourselves a little vixen. I'm impressed." _Why was he not concerned that an assassin was loose? _Andy was a little offended that Hook didn't seem to be intimidated by her surprise. He reached into his coat, and Andy tensed up. Sensing her defensive nature, he held up his hook in peace. "No need to stir, love." He revealed a flask in his hand. He bit off the cork with his teeth, eyeing Andy dangerously, daringly. He took a swig from the liquid and passed it over to Andy. Hesitantly, she grabbed the flask, not breaking eye contact with the captain. She sniffed the unknown liquid. _Rum. Of course. _Relaxed, she downed a gulp of the liquor. "Well, the little tiger has claws, doesn't she?"

"I'm not little," Andy defended, irritated.

"No. No you are not," Hook muttered incoherently under his liquor-laced breath with an unreadable gleam in his eye.

"Ok fine. Then let's get serious," Andy decided, handing the flask of rum back to the captain. Hook raised an eyebrow as she cleared her throat. "You first."

"Why are you the only Lost Girl on this island?"

"I don't know that answer to that. All I know is that I was dying, and then I wasn't because Pan decided to spare my life. In return, I'm forever in his debt, which truly sucks. Why are you, Captain Hook, travelling with this Storybrooke group? You don't strike me as a team player, so why are you pretending to be one? In other words, what's in it for you to go against Pan?"

Hook held his tongue, debating on whether or not to answer that question. "I do not know that correct response to that question, but Emma Swan convinced me to act otherwise. Are you loyal to Pan?"

"Only out of a life debt, meaning there's no other way to repay it other than to serve him for a lifetime. To be honest though, I expected him to eliminate my presence from the island a long time ago, about a week after my arrival here. This Emma Swan, the savior, what's special about her?"

"She's the daughter of Prince Charming and Snow White. She broke a sleeping curse that originated in the Enchanted Forest and transported its residents to a land without magic. Why didn't Pan choose to eliminate you immediately?"

"He wanted something which I owned. Why is the savior special to you?"

"She's not," Hook lied. "Why would Pan want you to eliminate us?"

"I don't know. Maybe because you're in the way of his mastermind plan. Pan never fails."

"It appears so," he said distantly, releasing a saddened sigh. _What was it about this pirate that is so frustrating and enthralling?_

"Why should I not kill you if Pan asks me to?"

Hook's eyes hardened at the abruptness of her question. Hidden beneath her beautiful exterior was someone dangerous, someone wild. "Because I can offer you something that Pan doesn't have."

"What is it?"

Hook clicked his tongue and wagged a finger at her. "Formality, assassin. It's not your turn now. Can I trust you?"

"Depends," Andy shrugged. "You should be aware of the fact that in order to survive Neverland, you have to work alone; you should know this captain because you should be familiar with the game of Neverland. If my life were on the line and Pan asked me to kill you and your group for the sake of my survival, I would choose my own survival. So, don't be surprised or feel betrayed because you know if you were in my position, you would do the same. We're a lot alike Hook."

"Aye love," Hook agreed, now cautious of the assassin in front of him.

"My turn. What is it you can offer me?" Andy pushed. "Why should I choose you over Pan?"

"Other than my obvious good looks, I can offer you something that any Lost One wants - a place to belong. I can offer you that. I can offer you a path, one that leads to a home. I can give you a way out, your way out of Neverland. Your freedom."


	3. The Enchanted Forest

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT, Maleficent, nor their characters, excluding Andy. If I did own the characters, it would probably be a storyline nightmare. :) **

**A/N: No Pan in this chapter, but I promise he will be in the next one! Also, let me know how this story is going so far and whether or not I should continue it by leaving a review.**

The breath escaped from Andy's lungs, leaving her vacant. She was utterly lost for words. The strings of Andy's heart pulled tightly at the sound of his words, lost in wonder and anxiety. This was it. This was her chance. It was now a reality. _Freedom. _

"There's no way you could keep a promise like that," Andy scoffed at Hook, shaking her head. Although she still maintained her hope, this was a pirate; they weren't the most righteous people on the planet.

"Love, why would I lie to you?" Hook asked, shrugging his shoulders.

Andy laughed bitterly under her breath. "Because you're a pirate."

"I'm a pirate with a code of honor; I thought this was established. Try again."

"Maybe because you're trying to hold a pretty, shiny incentive over my head in order to gain my trust."

"That may be so, but that doesn't mean that you won't be rewarded with this incentive. Just because it's offered so easily to you, doesn't mean that it's a trap. Maybe you should try lessening your hostility towards kind strangers," Hook advised, pointing his index finger at Andy.

"It's not my fault that people never fail to disappoint me," she muttered sadly.

"Maybe because your standards are so high," Hook returned.

"Sorry if I have trust issues," Andy defended. "It's not my fault if people deliberately choose to break their promises and abandon me." Hook was silent and looked at the girl sadly. "I'm sorry, but I can't trust you."

"So you're just going to go back to Pan?"

"Yes. If that's what it means to survive. Yes," she said getting up, avoiding his bright blue gaze.

"Does this mean we're enemies?" Hook asked in a low voice.

Swallowing then pursing her lips tightly, she looked him straight in the eyes, detached of any emotion and responded with, "I'm afraid so captain."

Hook met and held her tight stare, debating on his next move as she was obviously pondering hers. Taking a leap into the choppy waters, he briskly lunged his body at her small one, but she quickly predicted his move, stepping towards the side and causing him to lose his balance. Seizing the opportunity of his disorientation, she kicked him with full force on the plane of his back, earning a pained grunt from the captain. He fell to his knees and Andy, quick in the mind and quick on her feet, focused her energy on the appearance of a steel dagger in the palm of her hand. She used her other arm to force Hook into a choke hold position, kneeling on his back and placing the steel dagger against his exposed throat.

"Bloody. Hell. Love," Hook panted through gritted teeth, ego diminished to a tiny grain.

"Do not underestimate my abilities, pirate," she seethed, trying to catch her breath. She grabbed a handful of his black hair in one hand, the dagger in the other, which was still looming over the pirate's throat. Pulling his ear up to her lips, she whispered into his ear, "You tell your little group to watch their backs. You may think this was hostile, but just wait until I see your pretty little face again wandering mindlessly through my territory."

"Is that a promise?" he poked. _What the hell? How does he still manage to act perverse with a knife at this throat? _"I can see why Pan hired you. Good looks and ferocity."

"Don't you dare act like you know me; you do not know me," she said slowly, in a dangerously low voice. "You are really pushing it, pirate." She released her grip on his hair and kicked him to the ground, dusting herself off. "We're done here."

Dazed and confused, Hook looked up at the lost girl. "What? That's it? You're not gonna kill me?"

"As much I would enjoy doing so, I have larger priorities to attend to. But don't worry, I'm sure I'll get the chance to do the honors in the future; I'll make sure of it," she promised, walking away.

"Wait!" Hook called out, his voice sounding desperate.

Andy's ears perked up, and she turned around. "What do you want now? Did my words carry no impact?"

"Trust me love, they did. But hear me out," he pleaded. Andy contemplated the situation before giving a curt nod to urge the pirate to hurry up. He exhaled sharply before speaking. "Take a chance."

Waiting for any additions, Andy stayed silent before commenting, "That's it?" in an unimpressed tone. She shrugged and waited for his response.

"Take a chance on me, love," he repeated, Andy rolled her eyes at his abuse of the name "love." She slightly cringed.

"Why should I take a chance on you?" Andy inquired. Hook began to gently advance towards her position.

"Because you can act as nonchalant as you desire, but I know that below that cold exterior, behind those steel eyes of yours, there is a beating heart; you're human like the rest of us."

"That's a bold declaration, captain."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you would rather stay in Neverland for the rest of your life and miss out on your only ever opportunity at freedom," he requested, stepping closer to her face. She could faintly feel his warm breath on her lips. "Look at me love and tell me that you don't want your freedom." His face was inches away from hers, his bright blue eyes boring into her softening brown ones. "Your response?"

Andy bit her lip, pulling Hook's gaze down at her mouth. Andy's heart was beating out of her chest. _What is the right choice here? _Barely audible, in a breathless whisper, a shaky "Okay" escaped the gates of her lips.

Hook's face stretched into a grin. "That's more like it, Lost Girl."

_Past_

_ "We'll take your deal," Queen Leah declared to the jumpy, green imp. _

_ "Excellent choice deary!" Rumplestiltskin cried out in joy. _

"_Now what is it we must do to ensure our daughters' safety from Maleficent's curse?" Queen Leah pressed._

"_You," he sang, flicking his spidery fingers at Queen Leah and King Stefan, "must travel deep into the wood. There, you will find a fallen beast of vibrant, obscure fur." He jumped atop his dining table, continuing his dance. "This fallen beast is fatally injured. Either way, this beast will die because that's just the way life works!" he giggled. "His poor heart, impaled by a single arrow, still beats. You must extract this arrow from the beast's heart."_

"_Sounds simple enough," King Stefan commented._

"_Oh, but that's where you're wrong deary!" he said, clicking his tongue. "This beast is hostile, dangerous. He will kill you on sight. In order to spare your life, you must earn the beast's trust. He must die, placing his trust in your hands. He must die with you being his first and final friend. Bring me back the arrow, and we'll see what we can do about your sweet, little daughters. Have a nice day!"_

_In a cloud of smoke, Rumplestiltskin and his dining room disappeared, and the King and Queen found themselves in the middle of a forest._

"_Leah," King Stefan began._

"_I know what you're going to say Stefan," Queen Leah interjected, "and I'm not going to leave your side."_

"_You're carrying our daughters!" he protested._

"_How can you believe that I would just walk away from you and let you walk towards your death?"_

"_I'm not walking towards my death, Leah; I am walking towards our solution, our best chance for our daughters," King Stefan explained, holding his wife's hand. "Have hope in me. Trust me."_

_Tears filled the brim of the Queen's eyes. She closed her eyes slowly and exhaled, allowing a single tear to race down her rosy cheeks. King Stefan wiped it away with his thumb and kissed his wife atop of her forehead. "I love you," she managed._

"_I love you too," he whispered into her sweet, golden locks. _

_He removed himself from the loving embrace of his worried wife and began to walk through the brush, flashing a final smile before departing towards the beast which held the solution to his daughters' futures._

_Daylight was failing, darkening the forest and King Stefan's surroundings. He had been trekking through the wooded maze for hours now, exhausted and anxious about the condition of his pregnant wife. How was she? Was she safe? Was she comfortable? The fear of the future obstacle no longer affected him; its magnitude had languished with every step he placed on the forest soil. The survival of his daughters and his unconditional love for them outshone any storm clouds of looming fear and danger. _

_In the distance, the King's eyes could make out a small, rocky hill. What stood out about this certain hill was the dark alcove in the rock wall. His premonition sent a chilling alert throughout his body, announcing danger, announcing the presence of the beast. _

_King Stefan neared the cave, putting an enormous amount of effort in silencing his steps upon the forest floor in order to not stir the beast, which had not yet manifested itself to the world; it remained furtive and still in its cave, as if waiting for its challenger to move the first chess piece. _

_He placed a foot forward, earning a low, rumbling growl from the darkness of the cave. The beast was there, waiting for him. Inhaling and exhaling deeply in order to even out his breathing, King Stefan dared to take another step forward. The growl grew louder and more apparent. Who dared to challenge the mighty beast?_

_King Stefan's heartbeat was beating out of his chest with every step he took and every increase in the growl's volume he caused. Irritated by this endless game, the beast decided to present itself to the King. A strikingly vibrant orange paw stepped into the dim daylight of the trees. Orange fur? The King had never seen an animal adorned with such a brilliant coat of fur! What was this creature?_

_Curiosity prompted the King to advance towards the cave despite his premonition. The growl grew louder, causing the birds nesting in the trees to flee out of fear of the unknown tremor. He observed the orange paw intently. It was about the size of the King's face. A single swipe could probably be the cause of his demise. _

_The King took his final step towards the cave and then stood his ground with pride. Whatever beast this was, it too had pride. Feeling its authority threatened, the beast rose from its shadowy safe haven. The King's heart raced as the beast stepped into the dim daylight. Its orange fur was painted across by jagged black lines and streaks of white fire. A tiger. _

_King Stefan had never encountered an actual tiger in The Moors or even during his visits to the Enchanted Forest. He also had never heard any traveller's tales of the orange-coated beast. His only knowledge of the creature was that it wasn't a native to his kingdom or the Enchanted Forest. It hailed from the dense jungles of the central kingdoms, mostly the wild, but King Stefan had also heard of its presence in Agrabah due to the trading relationships between the central kingdoms in the uninhabitable jungles and the southern kingdoms in the dry, desolate deserts._

_The tiger narrowed its large, round green eyes at King Stefan menacingly, an equal opponent. Despite the beast's pride, King Stefan's curious eyes landed on the silver arrow sticking out of its chest, directly impaled into its heart. Wouldn't the creature have been dead by now? Or did it have too much pride that it refused to submit to defeat without a meaningful fight?_

_How would King Stefan approach this? If he reached out and simply pulled the silver arrow out of the tiger's heart, then it would surely tear off King Stefan's arm and enjoy a nice piece of flesh before its fall to its inevitable death. He needed to make a decision quickly because the tiger would most likely become bored of waiting for his opponent's move and take the initiative instead. An idea popped into the King's head, but there was no guarantee that it would work._

_King Stefan reached for his sword, the tiger growling at him threateningly. He pulled the sword out of its sheath, causing the tiger to erupt into a tremendous roar, shaking the ground and trees of the entire forest. King Stefan was breathing heavily now. The tiger was ready to kill. Then, out of impulse and adrenaline, King Stefan tossed the sword as far as he could into the depths of the forest, hearing it land somewhere unknown with a thud. He had just taken a leap of faith and deliberately unarmed himself. King Stefan was defenseless. The tiger eyed him with curiosity, hunger and murder disappearing from its intense, fierce green eyes. King Stefan eyed the muscles of the tiger, noticing them relax. His plan had succeeded._

_To test his success, he took another step forward. The tiger did not growl, swipe at him, or rip off his arm. King Stefan had earned the tiger's trust. He held his hand out towards the arrow, nearing the tiger and feeling its breath upon his face. The tiger was relaxed and calm. Again, acting on impulse, King Stefan moved his hand away from the arrow and placed it on the the orange fur of the tiger instead. The tiger did not react negatively. It observed King Stefan with softened green eyes as if telling him that it was ok to pull the arrow out of his heart. King Stefan nodded at the tiger and reached towards the arrow, wrapping his hands around it. The tiger shut its green eyes, and King Stefan pulled the arrow straight out of its heart. The tiger released a pained roar, but did not shift or sway its allegiance from King Stefan. It simply bowed its massive, striped head and gave a final glance at the King before closing the curtains to its eyes, ending the story of its life. _

_An emerald and violet aura of light suddenly radiated off of the tiger's still body as the sun began to set. King Stefan stared in wonder at the spectacle. As the aura intensified, the tiger's body began to disappear. The light radiating off its body travelled in a stream into the sky, spreading across the sky as darkness fell. Looking down from the illuminated night sky, King Stefan found a vibrant, orange flower in place of the tiger's body - a lily._

Present

"So do we have a deal?" Hook asked slowly, cautious of the Lost Girl's next move or reaction. Her expression showed that she was deep in thought about his proposal.

"So you want me to be your undercover agent in going against Pan?" Andy concluded after Hook finished his explanation. She sighed heavily, assessing the future chaos as a result of her decisions.

Hook nodded slowly, allowing her to fully absorb the information he had just told her. "Aye."

"So am I your puppet?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds-"

"Extreme," Andy finished for him. Silence. "I'm just warning you that there's always the possibility that Pan finds out about this; Pan never fails, remember?"

Hook chewed his tongue, reflecting remorsefully about his past in Neverland. It was true. The demon never did fail.

"Take a chance, remember?" Hook reminded her.

Andy sighed and muttered, "Alright. I'll do it."

"Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"I already said it once, I'm not going to say it again," Andy snapped.

"Atta girl," Hook smiled broadly.

"So as your agent, how can I be of assistance?" Andy inquired.

"Well seeing as we're now partners in this stratagem, I need your help in locating Pan's compound to find Henry," Hook requested.

Andy shook her head. "I'm sorry Hook. I can't help you there."

"Why not?"

"It would be too noticeable, too obvious. Pan specifically wants the Savior to be the one to find the compound. I don't know why, but it's apart of his plan. If I directly tell you the location, Pan will notice that something is off. I'm sorry, but it's all in the Savior's hands."

"Alright. I supposed you're right," Hook agreed.

"Well, I have to head back now. Otherwise, Pan will suspect something, and Neverland will go nuclear," Andy joked. She began to walk down the dirt path through the trees, but Hook stopped her once more.

"Wait."

Andy turned around to face him. "What is it Hook?" Andy asked with a hint of irritation in her voice. She was exhausted for the day.

"How formal would this alliance be if I didn't bear the knowledge of my own associate's name?" he quipped.

"Andrea," she responded. "Andrea Lux."

_Past_

_ "Back so soon dearies?" Rumplestiltskin chirped, clapping his dark, scaly, green hands. King Stefan dropped the silver arrow onto the long, oak dining table, engendering an echo through the airy high ceilings of the dining room in Rumplestiltskin's Dark Castle._

_ "Your promise?" King Stefan inquired firmly._

_ "I only make deals, no promises," the dark imp sang._

_ "Our daughters' safety," the King insisted._

_ "You scratch my back, I scratch yours," he nodded, standing up. The two royals followed him closely, observing his every move likes hawks. Rumplestiltskin swiftly turned around, surprising them. "But remember!" He leaned in close and whispered in a low, grave voice. "All magic comes with a price."_

_ "The state of our kingdom, we know," Queen Leah noted. _

_Rumplestiltskin narrowed his darkened eyes into tiny slits and held up a spidery finger. "Yes. It is your cost."_

"_But all curses can be broken," she added._

"_Indeed! But your beloved kingdom will be turned into a wasteland; it will be desolate, it will be dead."_

_King Stefan and Queen Leah's throats closed tightly, bound by the ragged rope of remorse. "It is a cost we're willing to pay," King Stefan stated, nodding his head._

"_Hmmmm."_

"_What is it?" King Stefan demanded._

_Silence. "There's more than just that, isn't there?" Queen Leah asked in a grave whisper._

"_Yes deary. You asked me for a deal to protect your daughters," Rumplestiltskin explained._

"_Yes. And I carried out our end of the bargain. I befriended the beast, the tiger, before his death, and I delivered you the damn arrow! Now you need to ensure our daughters' survival!" King Stefan bellowed._

"_Exactly deary!" the Dark One sang. "Your daughters' survival. Only your daughters' survival!"_

_Dead silence filled the dining room of the Dark Castle._

_ "We only asked for our daughters' survival," Queen Leah muttered, color drained from her bright face. "Stefan, we never asked for ours."_

_ "NO!" King Stefan roared. "You damn demon!"_

_ "It was your mistake, not mine!" the Dark One mocked, laughing wickedly._

_ "Damn you! Damn you! Damn you!" the King cursed. _

_ "Anger won't get you anywhere deary. We made a deal," Rumplestiltskin reminded. "And deals cannot be broken nor modified."_

_ "Stefan, we have to," Queen Leah begged. "If we do not survive, at least our daughters will!"_

_ "But who will raise them Leah? All in our kingdom will be dead with Maleficent's curse! We won't watch their first steps, their first words. We'll be absent from their lives!" King Stefan protested. "We can't let them grow up alone."_

_ "They'll have each other," the Queen reasoned. "Stefan, we're giving them their best chance."_

_ Tears streamed down King Stefan's face. He was a man of such high pride, never allowing anyone, not even his wife, to see him cry, to see him weak and broken. He couldn't bear the idea of never seeing his daughters grow up into beautiful young women. He would never be able to teach them to waltz or be there at their first balls, their weddings. He would never see his grandchildren. His happiness was torn away from him. He had no other choice. He swallowed his pride and let out a shaky, "Ok."_

_ "Splendid," Rumplestiltskin grinned. "Now, the blood on this arrow contains the blood of the beast. This beast was no ordinary tiger." The Dark One held the silver arrow in his hands, walking out of the dining hall._

_ King Stefan and Queen Leah followed the Dark One into his study, which was identical to the ambiance of the dining hall - dark and sinister. "This special beast possessed the gift of magic, as I am sure you witnessed at his demise." King Stefan nodded, recalling the aurora lights and the lily. "This beast was invincible to any disease, attack, or poison except all invincible heroes pertain an Achilles Heel." He dipped the silver arrow into a black cauldron, twiddling his fingers theatrically. The cauldron disappeared in a poof of purple smoke and revealed a clear glass vial containing a bright, violet liquid. "His blood will give your unborn daughters the gift of invincibility - a heart immune to any danger or disease," he proclaimed, holding up the glass vial of violet liquid to the light streaming through the dark, stained glass window. "Your daughters will have the hearts of invincibility."_

"_She is beautiful," Queen Leah panted, her exhausted brown eyes falling upon her newborn daughter for the very first time, the eldest whose cries filled the bedroom. Her husband held her hand tightly, joyful tears spilling from his eyes. He kissed his wife's sweaty temple, admiring their beautiful girl, their little, gentle flower. "She has your hair," the Queen smiled, admiring the baby's dark, brunette head. _

"_But she has your eyes," the King returned, looking into the warm honey eyes of his daughter. "What is her name, my queen?" the King asked his wife, taking pride in their beautiful creation. She was so small, her tiny, feeble hand wrapped around her father's index finger. She was as fragile and delicate as a petal._

_The Queen looked up at the King, love in her eyes, and answered with joy, "Lilliana." A glorious smile spread across both their tired faces. "Princess Lilliana."_

"_My sweet Lily," the proud king cried softly. _

_Queen Leah let out another gasp of pain and panted for breath. A nurse held a towel to her sweaty forward as she continued to push. _

"_You're almost there my love," King Stefan prompted. "Almost there!"_

_The Queen continued to scream in pain and gasped for breath. King Stefan held his Lily in one arm and held his pained wife in the other. Lily cried along with her mother. _

_The Queen gave one final screech of pain before a second cry filled the room, their youngest. _

"_She's beautiful. They both are," King Stefan smiled at the both of his daughters. "It looks like this one has your hair."_

"_Aurora. Princess Aurora," the Queen managed breathlessly._

"_Princess Lilliana and Princess Aurora, they're all ours, my dear. I love you so much." He kissed his wife's trembling lips, overwhelmed with the magic of being a parent. _

_News of the queen's birth to Princess Lilliana and Princess Aurora spread throughout the land of the Moors. The Waller Bogs celebrated with a massive mud war, the Cheeps composed and orchestrated a nighttime symphony under the luminous canopy of the forest, and the Dew Fairies choreographed a dazzling aquatic ballet underneath the glow of the azure galaxy. The kingdom was engulfed in an ambiance of light and joy._

_However, not all shared the joy of King Stephen and Queen Helen. At the border of the magical kingdom hid a banished and resentful witch in the forest of thorns – Maleficent. She watched broodingly with bitter eyes at the new heirs to the land, her land, the land which was stolen from her. It was the land which she would rightfully reclaim. In order to do so, she needed to destroy any drop of happiness existing within the kingdom. Desperate, the creatures of the Moors would slowly and weakly crawl to her feet, begging for the true Queen to come home._


	4. Lost Girl

Andy made her way back to Pan's compound, walking with a certain, non-transparent air. She had never experienced this type of adrenaline, not even during any of her missions in all her years as an assassin. There was something radiant about the way she walked. There was a certain twinkle in her eyes, which no longer seemed vacant or detached from her reality in Neverland. Her brown eyes were illuminated with a certain light, warming into the depths of her thought to be cold, dispassionate soul. _Wait. I'm happy? _Andy couldn't remember the last time she had felt that emotion; it had to be before she arrived in Neverland. She had to stop and recollect herself; she needed to remind herself that her encounter with Hook was real and their "allegiance" was real. Sometimes, she had a hard time differentiating real from illusory. Despite her sporadic moments of happiness, she had sporadic moments of doubt blockading her free flowing conscience. _What if it really is a trap? What if Hook is just using me? What if he breaks his promise? What if Pan finds out? _Andy's stomach flipped at the thought of the latter. Andy couldn't imagine what would happen if Pan found out. If Pan was only keeping Andy around long enough until he found a reason to kill her, this would be her end, her error in judgement.

Was her unguaranteed freedom really worth her guaranteed safety on the island? In other words, were a pirate's words worth her life?

As Andy began to near the camp, she could sense Pan's smugness. Standing atop a tower of crates, which Andy had tediously hauled in the other day, was Pan, who was most likely asserting his authority over the crowd of enamored Lost Boys. Pan's eyes brightened at the sight of Andy entering the compound. Confident at the sight of her arrival, Pan announced, "Ahh! Here she is! Our favorite Lost Girl. Welcome back, A." He approached her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, almost possessively.

Andy furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Pan," she began, "what the hell are you wearing?" Andy surveyed his appearance. He wasn't wearing his usual forest attire. Instead, he was dressed in jeans, tennis shoes, a navy blue peacoat, and a red scarf. His hair was even messier than it was this morning, inducing an even more devilish appearance.

Pan simply grinned, mischief twinkling in his eyes, and for some unknown reason, Andy's stomach flipped. Was it out of fear? Absolutely not. Andy was _not _afraid of Peter Pan. Perhaps she was afraid of what he was capable of, but she was nonetheless unafraid. Pan pulled her in closer, pressing his forehead against the side of her head and burying his face into her messy brunette waves. Lips inches from her neck, he whispered, "We're going to play a little game. I know you miss those." His hot breath danced along the surface of her exposed skin. The heat rushed to Andy's face, and she felt a clench in her stomach at his warm proximity, his lips lingering above the curve of her smooth neck. Aware of his effect on her, Pan's grin widened. "Glad you could make it. I missed you this morning."

Andy's breathing hitched. How could she possibly respond to that, especially after her encounter with Hook this morning? Although she might be the cold-hearted assassin, Andy had never been a traitor. Helpless in her situation, Andy responded, "Yeah. I missed you too."

Pan was slightly aback, removing his face from her sweet, perfumed brunette hair. He was expecting some snarky or acerbic remark from the Lost Girl. Andy was never the one to concur with Pan because she never wanted to give him the satisfaction. She never submitted to being the recessive one in their relationship or association; their actual alliance wasn't exactly explicit. Her passiveness was unusual. His expression slightly softened, and his smugness gradually lightened. Something was different about her.

Pan shook these suspicions away. He had a larger plan to attend to and could invest no time in other distractions. He removed his arm from around her shoulder and cleared his throat. "So A, what findings can you report today?"

Andy diffused the noticeable tension between the two of them by stepping atop the tower of wooden crates, addressing the Lost Boys like a natural leader in a loud, clear voice, "The Savior is finding difficulty in accepting who she truly is, meaning their group is becoming extremely frustrated, especially the Evil Queen. My assumption, based on my observation of their arrival, is that the Evil Queen is emotionally the weakest link although it appears she may be physically one of the strongests based on her ability to practice magic. She has a temper. My prediction is that she'll feel rejected and alienated from the group given her past. She'll be the first to snap, meaning she'll resort to magic."

"Oh, but that's not fair," Pan pouted with a sardonic tone in his voice. "That's cheating. We don't like cheating, do we boys?"

The Lost Boys grunted a loud, "No!" in response.

"Boys, who makes up the rules in Neverland?"

"Pan!" they chanted.

"Who never fails?"

"Pan!" they chanted.

"Who is going to show them what we do to dirty cheaters who think they are above my rules?"

"Pan!" they chanted.

"If that's the way they want to play, we'll play their game. Rally up boys!" Pan yelled. "To the abandoned camp!"

The Lost Boys, frenzied, cheered and yelled. They imitated loud Indian calls, wildly jumping around, hungry for the kill. They disappeared into the Dark Jungle, their calls and chants fading away into the shadows. Pan grinned and laughed with satisfaction at this feverishness. Andy stood calmly, arms crossed, indifferent to this immature hysteria. Pan noticed this and sauntered over to her. "You know, you can be apart of the game too."

Andy shrugged. "You know me Pan. I'm not one to party," she responded.

"I know you A. You're the singular type, the wallflower. We're actually very similar," Pan noted.

"Ha. I hope not," she scoffed, but Pan's tone remained serious.

"You like working alone because you take pride in your work. You like being the center of attention, indirectly."

"I'm not sure about that," Andy rejected.

"A, who am I?" he asked.

Andy rolled her eyes. "Peter Pan."

"And Peter Pan-"

"Never fails," she finished. "I know. You literally said that 2 minutes ago, and you literally remind us everyday."

"Precisely. Rote memorization is advantageous towards success."

"Just because you never fail, doesn't mean you know everything," Andy pointed out.

"It actually does, Princess," he grinned, smugness augmenting. "I know _everything_." Andy swallowed her saliva nervously. _Does that mean he knows? _"Come on, A. You know what? I'll give you an extra special task for tonight. If you succeed, I'll reward you."

_Oh great. Does he mean he'll reward me, or himself?Well, it's not like I have much of a choice in the matter. _"What do you want me to do?" Andy sighed deeply, exhausted from his endless requests.

Pan reached into the hollow of a nearby tree trunk and pulled out an oak bow and a quiver of arrows. He handed the weapon to Andy. "I know you're more of dagger and knives kind of girl, but you've got a dead shot." He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a vial of a dark liquid. Andy's breath stopped for a second at the sight of it - Dreamshade. "I want you to dip an arrow into this and shoot one of our main targets, excluding the Savior. Brownie points if you kill one of them in one shot, but extra brownie points if you don't kill them."

Andy's eyebrows furrowed at his contrasting requests. "Why?" she asked.

"It would be better if you simply injure one of them. Let the poison sink in and watch them suffer, torture over instant escape," he explained.

"Always the sadist you are, Pan," Andy commented.

"It adds more flavor to the situation," he explained with a mischievous grin.

"You love all the drama, don't you?" Andy sighed.

"Of course. What would Neverland be without all the fun?"

"I don't know what Neverland would do without you," Andy added with a sarcastic tone.

"Actually, I have another request to add," Pan said.

"What else?"

"There'll be an even larger reward for you if you injure our favorite pirate friend - Hook."

_Past_

_ "The curse! It's here!" a soldier announced at the top of the eastern tower of the Moorland Palace. _

_ King Stefan and Queen Leah stood quietly in the nursery of their daughters, Lilliana and Aurora, watching them intently for the last time. They were in their separate cribs, smiling brightly at their parents, whom they would never get to know or remember once the curse hit. King Stefan gently placed a hand on his wife's shoulder, using the other one to gently comb through her soft, blonde locks. "They're beautiful," he said softly. "Our daughters are beautiful."_

_ "They'll never remember us," the Queen pointed out with a vacant stare in her brilliant eyes and a melancholic mood to her voice. "They'll never know us. Maleficent, she has won." Queen Leah's voice was monotone, and her voice was stoic. She was tired._

_ "Leah, no," King Stefan objected. "You must have faith in our daughters that they will break this curse."_

_ "But we'll still be dead. It won't change the fact that we will never see them again."_

_ "As painful as this is, we have to accept the present reality in order to have a dream for the future," he told his wife. "Have faith in our daughters. We may no longer may have a future, but at least our daughters will. Remember? Our daughters, have faith in them. Have hope." King Stefan gazed into his wife's brilliant eyes one final time before they were lost in a haze of purple smoke._

Present

"Hook?" Andy questioned, raising an arched eyebrow. "Why Hook? Why him?"

"Remember how I told you Hook and I were associated at one point?" Pan began.

"I remember you telling me that he did your dirty work at one point, but I never got the chance to meet him," Andy replied, wary of the tone of her last words which were lies.

"Yes. Well, it seems like that opportunity has presented itself again. Hook is a valuable player to Neverland; he adds flavor to the game. There are changes coming to the island, and I'm interested in another partnership with him. I want you to injure him with Dreamshade because the only way to cure Dreamshade is-"

"The water of Neverland," Andy finished in a grave voice, knowing its consequence.

"Yes, on Dead Man's Peak," Pan added.

"You're not giving him much of a choice though," Andy protested, panic rising in her voice. "You're not offering him a deal; you're basically coercing him into your control. That's not fair."

"I make the rules, remember?" Pan reminded with a smug smirk.

Andy's heart raced rapidly. Hook was her only hope of leaving Neverland. Pan was doing this on purpose, sealing Hook's fate in Neverland; Pan knew _everything._ Pan raised an eyebrow at her silence and began to circle her. "Why are you so concerned about my association with Hook? What did you discover today?" he asked slowly, carefully.

A lump formed in Andy's throat. _Crap. _"Other than the fact that Hook is a highly pretentious pirate, I discovered nothing," she reported in a calm voice, trying to shroud her deception as strongly as she could. Pan stared at her a bit longer before shrugging off her unusual behavior.

"Well," Pan began, breaking the silence, "we don't have all day."

"But time doesn't move in Neverland," Andy contradicted, earning a satisfied smile from Pan.

"There she is, my little assassin," Pan grinned. "I was a little worried about you earlier. Now, we have to catch up with the rest of them because the show's about to begin. _Let's play_."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Andy remained motionless atop of the branch of a tree, concealed in a veil of leaves and shadows. She held the handle of the bow nervously. She felt out of her element because of two reasons. One: she wasn't accustomed to attacking in order to deliberately not kill because it seemed pointless to her, especially since she was an assassin meant to kill. Two: she honestly had no idea which side she was playing for. Andy held a high sense of hope in Hook's promises, but also a sense of doubt. On the other hand, she felt exhausted from the humiliation of being Pan's puppet, but also felt a sense of security and stability. What was the right answer here? Andy's cloudy thoughts dispersed in a gentle wind of muffled words coming from below.

"No one's here," she heard a voice complain. Andy's eyes followed the sound, detecting the woman with a pixie cut hairstyle - Snow White. "Maybe your spell was wrong Regina."

"Yes. Blame me...again," the Evil Queen sighed irritatedly.

The Storybrooke group came into full view as the emerged out of the shadows of the jungle and into the clearing of the abandoned camp. David, or Prince Charming, led the group, protectively wielding a sword. Andy immediately spotted Hook, walking behind the Savior with a questioning look upon his face at the sight of the camp. _It's too easy._

"Guys, hold on," Emma requested, looking suspicious of the area. _It's too quiet. _Then, she saw _him_. Her eyes brightened up with both joy and fear at the sight of the boy's back, wearing a navy blue peacoat, hands in his pocket and standing awkwardly. "Is that...? Henry!" she cried out, running straight towards him. "Henry" turned around, revealing a smug smirk on his face - _Pan._

Emma's eyes flashed with panic at the sight of him, stopping dead in her tracks. Pan knew everything. "Hi Emma," he greeted with a grin. The Storybrooke group stared up at him in awe and alarm, bodies braced for the beginning of the battle,

"Where the hell is Henry?" Emma demanded with a firm tone.

Pan began to parade atop the hill. "You broke the rules. That's not fair. Bad form," he scolded in a mocking tone. "I expected more from _you,_ Captain."

"Aye, and you'll get it," Hook growled, his menacing tone making Andy's skin go cold.

"Give Henry to me," Emma commanded.

"Sorry. Can't." Emma glared up at him as did Regina. "Don't you know? Cheaters never win," Pan reprimanded, anger coating his words, which almost made Andy lose her balance. The Storybrooke group members' eyes were illuminated with panic as multiple Lost Boys emerged from their hiding places in the jungle, armed with torches and weapons and ravenous to temporarily quench their insatiable blood lust. Arrows from all around circled the Storybrooke group.

"Watch out for their arrows; they're laced with Dreamshade," Andy heard Hook warn, feeling a pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach. Where did her true loyalty lie? In her present with Pan? Or in her future with Hook?

Metal collided with released arrows. Andy watched the spectacle from the safety of the trees, her eyes glued to the scuffle between Hook and Felix. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pan watching the battle with amusement. His green eyes locked into her brown ones, entrancing her in an electrifying gaze. He nodded his head towards the pirate and raised an eyebrow, awaiting her next move. Andy looked down at the bow and arrow laced with Dreamshade in her hands. _What will it be Andy? _She chewed on her lip; Pan was watching her, waiting. He wanted her to aim for Hook, and injuring Hook meant guaranteed survival. However, it also destroyed any chance of possibly escaping. It only seemed logical to choose the definite over the indefinite, the clear over the murky. She held up the bow, aiming the arrow down below in the clearing and pulled her arm back, stretching the bowstring. The blackened tip of the arrow lined up perfectly to the pirate's position. She inhaled a large gulp of air, holding it safely in her lungs. _I really hope I'm making the right decision here. _

Just as she released the arrow, she saw Hook's body concealed by the appearance of another's body moving directly in front of the arrow's line of fire. It was David. He had stepped in front of Hook.

The arrow sliced through the cold, night air and ripped through David's shirt, cutting the skin under his right arm, right above his rib area. "Ahhh!" he gasped out in pain, clutching the new wound.

"David!" Snow cried out, trying to help him, but he smiled weakly in protest.

"I'm fine. I'm fine," he reassured in a pained voice.

Andy came to the realization of what had just happened: she had chosen the path towards Pan, her survival, but something had blocked the path and detoured her towards Hook, her escape from Neverland. It had to be clear now, her loyalty.

Yet, it did not feel like that. She still felt confused. She felt lost?

Andy looked down towards Pan, who nodded in approval with a shrug. David wasn't the ideal target, but she had hit a target nonetheless, and Pan saw her aim for Hook, the ideal target. Her secret was safe for now.

Andy released the air which was caged inside of her lungs, watching its ghostly body swim across the dark night sky. Why was she confused about her loyalty? She obviously had chosen her survival, but why did she still feel confused?

_It's because you didn't hit Hook. _But she had aimed for Hook. _But you didn't hit him, which means you still have the option of leaving Neverland. _There wasn't a clear closure, that was true. Hook wasn't injured; he wasn't trapped in Neverland, meaning Andy could still leave Neverland once and for all. The lingering question was, is still worth it?

A sharp whistled filled the air, stunning everyone. "Enough!" Pan's voice roared through the clearing, shaking the trees. Lost Boys scrambled from their individual battles, fleeing towards Pan's safety. He looked satisfied with the entire spectacle, especially with the Savior. Emma looked up at him with bewildered eyes. _What had happened to her? _Andy had forgotten about her. "Remember what I told you. That map will show you where Henry is only when you stop denying who you truly are. I'll make sure to send Henry your regards," he grinned, turning away from Emma who was in complete shock. Pan and the Lost Boys disappeared into the Dark Jungle, leaving the Storybrooke group alone in the darkness of the abandoned camp.

"Emma, are you alright?" Snow asked. Emma was still kneeling on the ground, the same look of shock upon her face. "Don't let Pan shake your confidence. We've all had moments where we felt we couldn't prevail."

"Mary Margaret is right," David agreed, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulder.

"Guys not now. Please," Emma begged, finally speaking up. A look of irritation replaced her shock. Snow, or Mary Margaret, looked offended and hurt. She was trying so hard to reach out to her daughter. Emma got off of the ground and began to walk away with the blank parchment in her hand. David looked towards Mary Margaret, with a helpless look upon his face. She shrugged her shoulders and followed after her daughter, along with the rest of the group.

Andy assumed they were heading back to their camp, so she followed them silently through the shadows of the trees. She carefully danced from one branch to another, occasionally stopping to allow the group to gain a further distance to avoid being detected, especially with Regina in the back. Once they arrived back at their camp, Andy found a comfortable branch, hidden safely in the leaves of the trees. She lingered above the Savior, who sat casually on top of a wooden log, staring at the blank parchment to avoid any conservation with the rest of the group members. However, Mary Margaret, being the stubborn one, refused to tolerate her daughter's aloofness any longer. She joined her daughter on the wooden log.

"Please talk to me," Mary Margaret pleaded, desperately.

"There's nothing to talk about," Emma responded abrasively, eyes not leaving the blank parchment. "We had our chance and we lost. I lost."

"Then you have to keep fighting!" Mary Margaret prompted.

"You heard what Hook said; Pan is a demon," Emma sighed.

"And you are a-"

"What?" Emma demanded, her eyes removed from the blank parchment and looking furiously at her mother. "A savior? A hero? Because if any of that were true, this map would have worked, and we'd be leaving Neverland with Henry right now!"

Mary Margaret stared silently at her daughter, unsure of how to respond. Andy took this opportunity to take mental notes. _Snow White's weakness is her daughter. _Andy pondered this for a second. Why did she need to know any of this? Wasn't she supposed to be in Hook's alliance?

"Maybe who you think you are isn't really who you are," Mary Margaret wondered out loud.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked.

"Sometimes we think we know ourselves, but the truth is, we need that extra push to see the reality a little more clearly." Andy was slightly taken aback. _Is this actually true, what she is saying?_ Andy was suddenly met with a feeling of uncertainty about herself. Did Andy know who she truly was? She was an assassin, Pan's personal slave, and Neverland's only Lost Girl although she didn't feel lost at all. She was Andrea Lux and nothing more. At least, she couldn't remember ever not being just Andrea Lux. She knew she had a life prior to Neverland, but she couldn't remember because all of the pain had numbed her from accessing any memories.

"That boy with the knife, you stopped fighting him. Why?" Mary Margaret questioned.

"Because he was just a boy."

"No. There's more to it. I saw it in your eyes. Why did you stop?"

Emma stared at the forest floor with hard eyes, as if remembering something painful. "Because I saw myself when I looked at his face. That look in his eyes, the despair, I had too when I was in the foster system. Just a lost little girl who didn't matter and didn't think she ever would. A lost little girl who cried herself to sleep at night because she wanted her parents so bad and could never understand why they gave her up." Andy's expression softened at the sound of this. She suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia, as if she felt the same way, but she didn't have an idea as to why. Her mind was clouding something from her past, something that she didn't want to remember because it was simply too painful to do so. She began to listen to Emma once more. "It's just that on this island, I don't feel like a hero or a savior. I feel like what I've always been - an orphan."

_Past_

_ The sounds of infants crying filled the nursery, which was now dark and desolate. A sickening aura filled the air, but the only brightness which filled the room were two twin girls - Lilliana and Aurora. They were alone._

_ "Flora, what if she catches us?" a trembling Fauna asked, fluttering into the room with the two other fairies._

_ "Then we'll put up a fight and knock the magic outta her!" Merryweather exclaimed, putting two fists up. _

_ "Not now Merryweather - Oh my goodness!" Flora gasped, taking in the sight of the room. The King and Queen had fallen onto the floor, still and silent, their twin daughters crying loudly and miserably. "Quick! We must take them away from here before she comes!" The two other fairies nodded in agreement. _

_ "If we use magic, she will be able to track us down," Fauna protested._

"_But we're too small to physically carry both. We can only take one!" Flora responded._

"_And what? We abandon a child and leave her to suffer?" Merryweather criticized._

"_We will return in time if we act quickly," Flora reasoned. There was no time to argue. The two other fairies silently agreed and began to carry Princess Aurora from her crib._

"_We must take her beyond the forest of thorns to the cottage. It's the only way we'll be safe," Flora instructed. They carried the fair-haired baby out of the room, leaving Princess Lilliana to cry loudly, alone in the nursery._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_ "Isn't she hideous?" the fallen fairy commented to the black raven sitting on her right shoulder. "Oh, I forgot." She flicked her wrist and the raven transformed into a man with slick black hair, dark eyes, and a jagged scar on his pale skin near his left eye. "Isn't she hideous?" she repeated._

_ The man leaned over the crib and observed the baby who stopped crying at the sight of him. Her round brown eyes widened in awe and curiosity. He cocked his head in confusion. "No. She's not. She's actually rather small and rather cute," he said, lingering on the final word awkwardly as if he had eaten something disturbing._

_ "Don't be too sympathetic. Take her," she instructed. _

_The raven man obstinately obliged, swooping up Princess Lilliana from her crib and cradling her in his arms. He looked down into the baby's brown eyes with a regretful look. "Are you sure Maleficent?"_

"_Do not question my actions Diaval," Maleficent warned in a cool voice. "Let's go."_

_The dark fairy gracefully exited the nursery with her raven man following closely behind her with Princess Lilliana, forever separating her from her fallen parents and her twin sister, Princess Aurora._

Present

"The map is working! We know where Henry is!" Emma announced.

"Where?" Regina demanded. Emma handed the map which now revealed the entire island to Hook. He studied it closely.

"We're at the southern tip of the isle in the middle of the Dark Jungle," Hook reported. "Pan's camp lies due north."

"What are we waiting for?" Regina demanded, impatient.

"The terrain isn't filled with rainbows and butterflies," Hook said, earning a cutting glare from the Evil Queen. "There will undoubtedly be some nasty impediments along the way."

"We should prepare," David decided. "We only got out of our last encounter with Pan because he let us. We need a new one."

"Agreed," Emma nodded. "It's time we stop playing his game, and he starts playing ours."

"And if I disagree?" the Evil Queen voice in.

"I'm not going to stop you, but you and I both know that our best chance at finding Henry is if we stick together as a group."

"You better be right," Regina warned, walking away from the group.

"We're going to get some rest," David said weakly, walking away with Mary Margaret and leaving Emma alone with Hook.

"Excellent show of patience love," Hook complimented, pulling out a flask of rum. Andy secretly rolled her eyes at him._ He never misses the opportunity to turn on the charm, does he? _

"Is rum your solution to everything?" Emma questioned.

"It certainly doesn't hurt," he grinned, taking a drink and handing it over to Emma. "Exactly how did you unlock the map."

"I did what Pan asked," she shrugged.

"And just who are you, Swan?" he asked, leaning in closer. Andy narrowed her eyes at him. _What an ass, this pirate._

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Emma scoffed.

"I would," he admitted. Emma stared into his eyes before walking away, shaking her head at herself. Andy inhaled sharply, slightly annoyed at her findings. Did Hook seriously flirt with everything that walked? She suddenly felt her confidence diminish to the size of a teaspoon. Was she jealous? _Of course not! _However, that didn't prevent her from feeling incredibly insecure and irrelevant. Of course Hook didn't care about her as a person. He only wanted her assistance out of a mutual alliance. _It's all business, Andy. Do not get involved personally. _She moved away from Hook's location, not wanting to deal with him at the moment, and followed after Emma instead.

Andy found her huddled over a bush, collecting its berries into a wooden bowl. She suddenly saw Pan's figure emerge from the shadows. "Don't eat the blue ones," he said, his voice startling the Savior. She didn't meet his eye contact. "Congratulations. You did it, orphan," he said, saying the last word with a smug satisfaction. "You don't mind if I call you a Lost Girl, do you?"

Andy felt a twinge of jealousy at Pan's words. First, it was Hook, and now, it was Pan too? Andy saw absolutely nothing special about this Savior, so why were Hook and Pan so enamored by her? Did Andy mean nothing to either one of them now?

"Call me whatever," Emma sighed, trying to ignore him. "It won't stop me from finding Henry."

"Oh I'm counting on that one," Pan laughed sarcastically. "There's a reason I tested you. You haven't forgiven your parents for abandoning you. Don't even try to deny it. That's good. When you find Henry, you'll understand him." Emma's eyes flicked up towards his, standing up.

"Excuse me?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"He hasn't forgiven you either," he admitted. "By the time you get to him, he'll never want to leave Neverland."

"We'll see," she spat, walking away.

"And Emma, by the time I'm through with you, you won't just feel like an orphan, you'll be one!"

In that instant, Andy's blood went cold, and it chilled her to the bone. She let out a silent gasp. The clouds within her mind had cleared away and revealed not the shining, bright sun, but the menacing stare of an eclipsed moon. Andy remembered something from her past, something dark and something cruel.


	5. Ghosts of the Past

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or Maleficent, excluding Andy. **

**A/N: As much as I love Kristin Bauer van Straten, I'm leaning more towards Angelina Jolie's portrayal of Maleficent for the sake of character development.**

_**Past**_

_ "Maleficent? I'm not sure as to why you need the baby. What is it going to prove?" Diaval asked, watching Maleficent hold the baby stiffly in her arms. It was an odd sight, the fallen fairy with a baby._

_"Pride, Diaval. Pride," she said in a smooth voice. Lilliana giggled at the fairy. "Diaval, tell me. What is it about babies that people are in love with? Is it their youth? Or do they possess some special magic before age strips it away?"_

_"Ummm. No. I believe it to be their innocence," Diaval stated, earning a stoic look from Maleficent. _

_"And what is the obsession with innocence compared to wealth or to power?" she questioned, observing the baby. "They look like little beasts. This one is a little beastie."_

_"All good things stem from innocence. That is to say that innocence is the root of all that is good." _

_Maleficent arched an eyebrow at the little beastie, earning a giggle from her. The baby reached out her tiny arms towards Maleficent's head._

_"What does the little beastie want?" _

_"I think she likes you," Diaval admitted, trying to suppress a laugh at the situation._

_Maleficent growled at the little beastie. The baby's brown eyes widened in curiosity, but then lighted up with amusement as she reached out and grabbed onto Maleficent's black horns. _

_Diaval let out a loud laugh while Maleficent glared at him. He coughed and tried to suppress his amusement further. _

_ "You said that infants are the root of all that is good," Maleficent began slowly, formulating her thoughts._

_ "Yes," Diaval nodded._

_ "And that is to say that infants are the purest manifestation of good?" she questioned._

_ "I believe so. Yes."_

_ "So, that brings me to my plan. Out of pride, I wish to change this one's fate," she explained._

_ Diaval furrowed his brows. "I'm sorry, but I do not follow."_

_ "This baby possesses the power of invincibility, meaning she is immune to any evil of the realm," Maleficent explained, holding the baby in her arms. "She was supposed to be the kingdom's manifestation of purity and goodness. But how much more interesting would it be, if we were to change that?" _

_Diaval allowed his brain to absorb the ideas of the fallen fairy. _

"_This one was destined to grow up and become the kingdom's next queen. She was meant to break the curse, meaning to destroy my happy ending," Maleficent elaborated. Diaval nodded his head slowly. "I want to create the exact opposite. I want to raise her in my image, to teach her my philosophies, to make a fool out of Stefan, his memory, and his plans for his daughter."_

_ "You want to make her a villain," he stated._

_ Maleficent clicked her tongue in disapproval. "'Villain' is so negatively connotated. I'd like to think of us as the non-conformists. Our actions aren't out of sheer vice; we simply have motivations that aren't exactly ideal to the others."_

_ "And how do you plan to shape her life?"_

_ "By teaching her the one thing that most people flee at the sight of, the one thing that most people speak of in hushed voices, the one thing that most people fear."_

_ "And what is that?" _

_ "Magic."_

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_**Eighteen to Nineteen Years Later**_

_ "Let go of me! Ow! Stop it!" Lilliana pleaded. An older, middle aged woman was pulling her by the hair and pushed her onto the ground. Lilliana let out a gasp of relief from the pain. _

_ "You are the most ungrateful child I've ever had," she slurred. _

_ "I'm not your child!" she hissed, placing a hand on the back of her head to feel the damage. "Are you drunk? It's only 4 in the afternoon."_

_ "Do not question me, you worthless wench," the woman said, pointing a dirty finger at her, which she swiped away. The woman angrily pushed her face back. "You should be more thankful. I've given you a home and food for the last sixteen years when I could've just left you to rot on the streets where I found you." _

_ "You've given me nothing but grief and sorrow for the last sixteen years. I do all of the work in this household; I even try to earn some money, which you just go around and waste at the pub getting drunk and trying to sleep with some filthy pirates. You've never provided food for me. I either have to steal it from the market or find it in the forest. You've never given me a home. I'm not even your child. Never was, never am. I would be ashamed if I was. I am nineteen years old, and I don't deserve this treatment anymore!" Lilliana yelled at the top of her lungs, her face reddening with hatred and anger. _

_ The woman met her eyes with furious ones, raised her hand, and slapped Lilliana hard across the face. Then, she pointed a finger at the door. "Leave," she demanded. _

_ Lilliana held her face in shock, hissing from the sharp sting. Her eyes teared from the pain, but this was her chance, dancing right in front of her. She swallowed her pride and looked up to meet the woman's smug gaze. Lilliana smiled. "Finally," she laughed. She grabbed the knapsack she had hidden in the potato barrel for several months and walked promptly out the door without a final glance back. She was free. _

_ Lilliana ran across the field, over the small grass hill, and into the bustling streets of the business center of the city of Hamelin - the market area. She was lost in a sea of people, feeling the rush of the busy urban life. There was an endless myriad of different colors, sounds, smells. It was a little overwhelming at first. It was about late afternoon to early evening, but the streets were still packed tightly. _

_ In the midst of her adrenaline rush of freedom, she stopped and realized her situation. She no longer had a guaranteed home, or at least a place to rest for the night. Where would she go? Should she venture into the woods? Lilliana thought about it first, but remembered the tales of children disappearing into the foliage, trailing after a mysterious tune. _

_ Maybe an inn would be her best bet. She reached into her knapsack and counted her coins. She had saved up whatever she could, sometimes even reaching into the money box of the woman she lived with in order to support herself for the future. Now, Lilliana had a large enough sum to support herself for a lifetime if she lived decently and modestly. _

_ "Excuse me sir, where can I find an inn?" Lilliana asked a man selling fish, which appeared to be rotten._

_ "An inn? All the inns are down at the Flood Gate near the docks. I'd be careful though. That Flood Gate area is no place for a pretty young thing like yourself to get lost in, especially with all those pirates," he warned. _

_ "There are no other inns other than the ones in the Flood Gate area?" she asked._

_ He shook his head, flopping his wispy white hair around. "Nope. Sorry. Only in the Flood Gate."_

_ "Well, thank you." Lilliana released a sigh. The woman who took Lilliana in was a regular at the Flood Gate area. She wouldn't be surprised if she ran into her there, not that it actually mattered. That woman wanted nothing to do with Lilliana, and Lilliana wanted nothing to do with that woman. So, she pushed her way through the crowded streets and made her way towards the infamous Flood Gate._

_ The streets in the Flood Gate were more emptier than those of the market place. There were only a few people out of the streets, mostly fishermen transporting their final catches into the warehouses. The smell of the Flood Gate was rather...disgusting. It smelled rancid like grime, fish, and sewer all combined. It was difficult for Lilliana to ignore the putrid smell. Nonetheless, she stepped into the first inn she found, Dead Man's Folly. _

_ Lilliana entered through the front door, greeted by a loud atmosphere of men talking, laughing, and drinking. She made her way through the crowded room and found a seat at the bar. The barmaid acknowledged her presence with a blank, imperious glance._

_ "What can I do for you?" the barmaid asked in a bored voice._

_ "I was wondering if I could get a room?" Lilliana asked, raising her voice above the noise of the pub._

_ "Sorry. No vacancy," she said in a rather unapologetic voice._

_ "Really? Is there any other inn I can check into?" Lilliana asked, a little disappointed._

_ "All inns are full. You chose the worst time to be travelling, during shipment season. Everyone knows not to travel during shipment season," the barmaid scoffed._

_ Lilliana narrowed her eyes at her, biting her tongue to keep from snapping at her and causing an unnecessary scene. This wasn't the place to be demanding attention. She walked away from the bar, heading towards the door and most likely towards the woods, but someone bumped into her, spilling a drink over her shirt. _

_ "Ohh! I am so sorry there mate," the male's voice laughed loudly. "Wait, you're no mate. You're a lady!"_

_ "Very well spotted," Lilliana hissed, walking away from the man._

_ "Well wait there missy! Where are you going?" the man asked. He had a rather nice face with brown hair, which was tousled around wildly in different directions, slight scruff, and bright green eyes. He was probably around early to mid twenties, but he had a certain air to him that screamed trouble despite his attractive features. It was probably the tattoo that she spotted on his wrist, a skull. Despite his youth and rather innocent appearance, it was plain to see that he was no ordinary man, but a pirate. _

_ "That's none of your concern, now is it?" she said with narrowed eyes, trying to disguise her blush by turning her cheek to avoid his green-eyed gaze._

_ "No it's not. I just wanted to repay my inexcusable folly with a drink. How about it?" he winked, flashing a sparkling smile. Most girls would have giggled or fainted from glee, but Lilliana tried her best to remain indifferent towards his charm._

_ Lilliana merely frowned at him. "I don't think so. I'm fine. I'll be going now."_

_ Before she could leave, the man grabbed her wrist. "Come on lass. Have a drink with me."_

_ "I said no the first time, and I'm saying no now. Goodbye," she stated firmly, retracting her wrist from his possession and walking straight out the door. _

_Night had fallen, and the cold coastal air and fog had now settled over the dark streets. Lilliana released a frustrated sigh. Where was she supposed to go now? Perhaps she could find some barn to sleep in for the night in the countryside. However, that would take another two to three hour walk. _

_Shoulders slumped from the disappointment of her first adventure, Lilliana began to slowly walk the streets with no exact destination. She walked along the road, admiring the massive sails of the magnificent ships docked at the port. She had always wondered what it would be like to see new lands, to visit foreign soil. Hamelin was a nice town and all, but that was mostly it. She was familiar with the realm she was in, the Enchanted Forest, and its different kingdoms such as the western, eastern, southern, and northern. She was even familiar with the stories of the lands out across sea such as Arendelle. However, she'd heard the tales of travellers venturing into different realms such as Oz, Narnia, and even Wonderland itself. Lilliana wondered what it would be like to visit Wonderland in all its eccentricity. In Wonderland, animals could talk, flowers could sing, and the mushrooms were larger than the people. She longed for fresh if not strange sights._

"_Oi! You there!" she heard a voice call out from the road behind her. She ignored it initially, mistaking it for a conversation between two fishermen, but her heart began to pound against her chest when she heard running footsteps trail after her. _

_When she felt the man's presence close behind her, she began to run. However, the weight of her knapsack was too heavy, and her pursuer caught up to her easily and grabbed her. She let out a scream, but the man wrapped an arm around her mouth, muffling her cries._

"_Lass, why are you squirming? It's just me," the man laughed. It was the man from the bar earlier._

_ He loosened his grip on her, allowing her to speak. "Let me go!" She thrashed her body about in his hold, but he simply laughed. Her small swipes were futile against his muscular body._

_ "Alright," he said, letting go of her._

_ "Why did you run after me?" she demanded haughtily, straightening out her wavy brown hair, which had flown about in different directions from her flight._

_ "Well, the Flood Gate isn't the place to be walking around alone at night, man or woman. I felt bad for what I did earlier and thought it was polite to offer my protection services to a beautiful young lady," he explained with a bow. "Morgan Kidd, at your service."_

_ Lilliana simply stared at the man in front of her. He was a pirate; he was doused in trouble. Lilliana should have simply ran away towards to woods, but here she was, immobilized. _

_ "Well there's no need to stare lass, unless you like what you see," he winked. _

_ "You said that you would promise your protection services to me?" she inquired._

_ "Aye," he nodded._

"_And why should I take your word for it?" she interrogated. "You're a pirate."_

"_A heavy accusation, but a true one nonetheless. I may be a pirate, but I do have a code of honor," Morgan grinned. "So, I promise to protect you."_

_ "So, how can you live up to your promise?"_

_ "You and I are going to head back to Dead Man's Folly and wait until the bar dies out. Then, we can find a place for you to rest for the night. Simple!" he smiled._

_ "Why do we have to wait for the bar to die down?"_

_ "So everyone will be passed out and rendered useless until their hangover passes, making it safer to roam the streets," he explained._

_ "And how long will that take?"_

_ "A good hour or two."_

_ Lilliana bit her tongue, debating her options, but Morgan simply smiled and took her hand without further question, walking back towards Dead Man's Folly. The arrived back at the pub to a loud collection of cheers. _

_ "Atta boy Kidd," a toothless man praised, clapping Morgan on the back._

_ "Catch of the day boys, reserved for the one and only Kidd," Morgan boasted to the cheering men. _

_ "Excuse me?" Lilliana asked in a panicked voice, but Morgan leaned down and whispered in her ear, sending a blush of red over her cheeks._

_ "Pride, my darling. Not to worry," he soothed as they walked over to the bar. _

_The barmaid from earlier raised an eyebrow, shooting Lilliana a questioning look. "Back so soon?" she asked, envy dripping in her words at the sight of Lilliana with the dashing pirate._

"_Two glasses and a bottle of rum," Morgan requested, sitting next to Lilliana on a stool._

"_Alright, there has to be more than a code of honor behind your reasons for protecting me. What else do you want?" Lilliana began right away._

"_No need to be suspicious, lass. Alright, you're right, there are other motivations as to why I am so keen on protecting you," he admitted as the barmaid delivered the bottle of rum and two glasses._

"_And what is that?" Lilliana pressed as she watched him pour the alcohol into the glasses._

"_You are the most beautiful woman I have seen, and it would be a shame for anyone else to have the honor of calling you theirs," he confessed, his eyes boring into hers. He handed her a glass of rum and waited for her response. _

_Most girls would have swooned at his words. Their knees would have buckled, and their hearts would have soared into the sky. However, Lilliana couldn't help but simply stare at him in disbelief. There was no way that a simple stranger could possess such a magnitude of emotions and muster up the courage to express them. She was at a loss for words. She took a gulp of her rum, her face distorting at its strong taste, before she responded._

"_I'm sure there are plenty of other women out there who possess such beauty," she offered weakly, but Morgan held her gaze._

"_I can assure you. I've travelled to many lands, even many realms, but none could compare to you," he assured, swallowing his first glass. He reached for her hand, taking it in his, and leaned in closer to her face. "Beautiful maiden, what is your name?"_

_Panicked, Lilliana thought of the first name that came to mind as she downed another glass of rum. She didn't know why she chose the name. Perhaps she was reminded of someone during her childhood, but she reasoned that it was wise to start a new life with a new name, one that was different from her own. She needed a strong name, but common enough to hide behind, to deter any beam of spotlight on her life._

"_Andrea," she replied without hesitation. "Andrea Lux." She didn't know why she chose "Lux" as her last name; it had a nice ring to it though._

"_Andrea Lux," he grinned, taking her hand and kissing it. "A beautiful name. I, Morgan Kidd, by code of honor, promise to protect the Lady Andrea Lux from all dangers and treacheries of the realm, to bring her happiness and joy, and to show her the beauty of the world as she has showed to me tonight by a single glance from her brilliant eyes."_

"_Do you really mean it, to show me the world?" she asked, a gleam of hope invading her eyes. _

_Morgan swallowed another gulp of rum, emptying his glass once more. "Aye. What do you think about joining me and my crew aboard the Savage Storm? We've plans to set sail towards the distant land of Arendelle," he offered, seeing Lilliana's, or Andrea's, eyes light up with wonder._

"_That sounds incredible!" she exclaimed. _

_She took another drink of her glass of rum as Morgan admired her intently. _

"_So, Andrea, why were you out and about on your own? You don't seem to be the seasoned traveller," he pointed out._

_Lilliana chewed on the inside of her bottom lip before responding. "I ran away from my home. Well, I guess you couldn't really call it a home. More like a prison," she confessed, sadness in her voice._

"_Pray tell," he prompted, sipping his glass._

"_Well, there's a lot more to it; it's a rather long, uninteresting story," she said apologetically._

"_We have all night, darling."_

_Lilliana sighed before beginning. "I never knew my parents." Morgan's hand had returned to hers. "A woman found me on the middle of road at night. I was three years old, abandoned because my parents no longer loved me." Lilliana's voice was shaky. "And this woman who found me, she didn't turn out to be any better. She was cruel, heartless. I didn't even understand why she put up with me for so long. I think it's because she needed someone to clean up around the house, and she knew I didn't have the courage to leave her, until today."_

"_Well, you no longer have to bear the burdens of your past. You can leave it all behind, and walk towards your new future," Morgan smiled, which Lilliana returned weakly. Her new life began today._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_ Lilliana felt that her eyes were closed and that her cheek was pressed up against a sticky surface. A painful ache throbbed against her temples, sending a wave of nausea over her sore body. Her bleary eyes opened slowly, sending a sharp pain to her already pounding head. She slowly raised her head, assessing the damage of her surroundings. Passed out bodies were piled in different areas of the pub, all hungover from their night of drinking and frivolity. Lilliana groaned as she pulled her head up from the wooden surface of the bar, which was moist with a collection of different poisons and alcohols. _

_ "Morgan?" she called in a groggy, dry voice. She looked to the seat where he had been sitting the night before, but her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach when she found it empty. A feeling of anxiety passed over her, fully awakening her body to a state of alarm and confusion. _

_ "Morgan?" she called again, a little louder, earning a collection of annoyed groans from the hungover men in the room, She rose to her feet, carefully stepping over passed out bodies after scanning their faces. None of them were Morgan Kidd. _

_ Lilliana stumbled out the door, trying to stay calm. It was still nighttime or early morning as the pale moon was still high in the darkened sky. _

_ "Morgan?" she called out into the empty street, earning silence as a response. A feeling of dread bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Had he abandoned her, even if he had promised her his protection, a future of adventure and happiness? Had he lied to her? Lilliana had never felt so betrayed before. _

_ "Morgan?" she tried again, despair in her scratchy voice. He was gone._

_ Lilliana jumped at the sound of a tongue clicking in disapproval. The blood drained from her face as a figure emerged from the shadows of the alleyway. A pirate._

_ "Wha' is a pretty young thin' like yourself doing all out by your lonesome?" the pirate slurred, a menacing gleam in his dark eyes._

_ "That's none of your business," Lilliana spat._

_ He raised his hands up in mock offense. "Now there's no need to be all touchy. Only curiosity." He began to advance towards Lilliana's spot, stumbling a bit. "Who is this Morgan you're whining abou'? Your boyfrien'?"_

_ "That's none of your business," Lilliana repeated with force evident in her voice. The pirate now stood in front of her._

_ "Oh wai' a minute," he said, eyes widening. "Morgan Kidd. I know the bloke."_

_ "Well, can you tell me where he is?" she demanded. This pirate was bad news._

_ "Aboard the Savage Storm," he nodded, pointing a finger out into the ocean. Just beyond the dark horizon was a ship growing smaller and smaller in size. _

_Lilliana's eyes widened in fear and hurt. A single tear escaped from Lilliana's eye. Morgan had betrayed her trust. _

"_Sorry girly. Look's like your boyfrien' decided to leave withou' ya." He let out a deep laugh. Lilliana swiped angrily at the single tear, streaming down her paled face. "But don't you worry. I'm here, and I can help you forget all abou' him."_

_ He made a lunge to grab at Lilliana, but she immediately reacted upon her instinct and kicked the man straight up the crouch. _

_ "You're a lil figh'er aren't ya?" He made another attempt to lunge at her, but Lilliana swung her first straight across his face, knocking a tooth out._

"_You little bitch," he gasped out. _

_His eyes darkened and sprinted at her, knocking her to the cobbled, cold ground. She let out a piercing scream. "Get off of me! HELP! HELP!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, swiping furiously, sending bloody scratches upon his face, but the pirate muffled her screams by shoving his dirty hand over her mouth._

_ "Shut it, will ya?" he spat, punching her straight in the mouth, cutting open her bottom lip. "Boys! Help me out, will ya? This one won't shut up!" _

_ A group of about three or four men emerged out of the shadows, all tall, large, and pirates. One came over to Lilliana, kicking her in her left side. She let out a muffled hiss of agony. "Please," she begged, with the pirate's hand still over her mouth. Another one stomped down on her ribs, earning a loud crack and a tortured scream from Lilliana. Tears ran furiously down her face, stinging the open wounds and scratches on her face and mixing with the neighboring pool of crimson blood on the ground. She cried at the cruel sting of betrayal, a broken promise. She cried for the loss of her dream, the wonders of the world. _

_ They continued to beat her, bone after bone, scream after scream, until Lilliana's brilliant brown eyes weakly fluttered to a close, her long brunette locks soaked in her own blood, coloring them crimson. She was breathing weakly._

_ "Now lads, that is no way to treat a lady," Lilliana vaguely heard a voice say. Was it Morgan?_

_ "Get out of here boy. Isn't it past your bedtime?" the leader who first attacked her cackled, joined by the rest of her attackers._

_ "No," the boy grinned, eyes twinkling under his multi-colored hood. "But it is yours." _

_ With those words, Lilliana heard the sound of pained grunts, groans, and cracked bones. She struggled to open her eyes. She didn't want to open them; the pain was too much to bear. It was simply easier to depart from this world than to fight for the will to live. The scuffle had now ceased as the air was still and silent, excluding the faint breaths of a weak Lilliana._

_ "Who are you?" Lilliana heard the leader gasp out in pain. "Who are you, you Pied Piper?" His eyes travelled to the flute with multiple wooden pipes, bound together by a leather string. _

_ The Piper leaned down to the leader's face, removed his pied hood, and smiled. "I'm Peter. Peter Pan," he grinned before delivering the final blow._

_ Satisfied with his work, Peter Pan stood up and assessed the damages. The Flood Gate's streets were, safe to say, flooded with a thick stream of crimson, which reflected brightly under the pale light of the moon. However, it was not only crimson which shone through the darkness. Pan's eyes travelled over to another glowing entity shining in the pool of crimson. It was the girl he had saved. Her bruised and bloodied body was surrounded by a violet aura of light. He listened closely to her faint heartbeat grow stronger and louder. His green eyes widened in wonder. The girl refused to submit to death; she was fighting for the will to live. Who was this girl? Enamored by the spectacle, he leaned in closer to her._

_ "Who are you?" Pan asked, observing the brightening violet aura surrounding her body._

_ "Andr-drea H-H-Lux," she breathed faintly._

_ "Well, Andrea, how would you like to leave this place, this world, in all its disgust and cruelty, and come with me?" Pan offered. It was a leap of faith; it wasn't customary of him to bring girls to the place they were going._

_ "W-w-where?" she breathed._

_ Pan leaned in closer to her, brushing her crimson-soaked locks away from her ear. He caressed her face, which was still vibrant and youthful despite all the scratches and whispered, "Home."_


	6. Achilles' Heel

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or storylines of OUAT or Maleficent, excluding Andy.**

**A/N: This chapter is for all you Pan lovers. :) Also, I'm trying to think of what their ship names would be. Lol. Pandy? **

A lone tear escaped from Andy's vacant brown eyes at the thought of the sickening memory. For the first time since her arrival in Neverland, Andy allowed herself to sob, her body shaking as the memory vividly painted itself into her brain - the blood, the helpless cries, the humiliation, the betrayal. It felt all too real as she drowned herself in a river of sorrow and despair.

Nobody wanted Andy. Nobody ever had and ever would. This painful memory was just a constant reminder of the reality she tried so hard to conceal. Emma's words of confession only pushed her to see who she truly was as well - an orphan, a Lost Girl.

At first, Andy felt a deep sense of empathy for Emma, being an orphan as well. However, she began to realize that although their paths appeared identical, Emma had her parents whereas Andy did not; that was where their paths diverged. Emma _was _an orphan, yes. Yet, Andy was _still _an orphan. Emma's parents wanted her; Andy's parents did not. The sense of empathy Andy felt for Emma was replaced with a sense of envy.

Throughout her childhood, all Emma wanted was her parents. Now, she had them, but she was pushing them away. Andy felt angry. The one thing that Andy ever wanted was her parents as well, and here she was watching someone push their parents away. It was so selfish. Andy couldn't help but dislike the Savior and her treatment towards her parents.

Andy wondered how different things would be if her parents actually wanted her. Where would she be, and who would she be? She knew she wouldn't be here, stuck in Neverland, killing people under Pan's orders like it was as easy as breathing. She would have never grown up unloved and hated by the woman she had lived with for sixteen years. She would have never ran away. She would have never met Morgan Kidd. He would have never betrayed her. She would have never neared death. Pan would've never saved her. She would've never met Bae, or let him go. She would've never met Hook.

It was pathetic really, the feeling that came with crying. At first, the emotion of sadness and grief is unbearable, followed by anger, succeeded by a sense of shame and insecurity, and finally followed by a wave of calmness. When Andy had finally reached the latter, she climbed down from the branch she was perched on and began to head back towards Pan's compound. She had thoroughly exhausted herself for the day, haunted by the ghosts of her past.

As Andy made her way through the Dark Jungle, doubt resurfaced from the pit of her stomach and ate away at her thoughts. She hadn't even realized it at first. It was a pirate who betrayed her trust; what made this one, Captain Hook, any different?

The painful memories began to flood her brain all over again. She pressed her hands against her ears, trying to shut them out, but they flooded her mind in tidal waves, each crashing against the shore with an increasing amount of force, growing louder and stronger with each pounding heartbeat.

_No. I can't do this again. I will not be the stupid nineteen year old I was all those years ago. I have to be smarter now. I have to get through this. Somehow. I am not Lilliana of Hamelin. That girl died a long time ago. I am Andrea Lux of Neverland. _

Other than her physical abilities as an assassin, survival was what Andy was good at. In order to survive, Andy needed to do what she did best - acting alone. She couldn't afford to depend on anyone other than herself. She couldn't place her trust in Hook, and she couldn't place her trust in Pan either. The both of them were just too unpredictable. Hook promised her a way out of Neverland, so long as they succeeded in defeating Pan. On the other hand, Pan promised her safety and survival, so long as she remained loyal to him. What Andy needed was a reliable back up plan just in case either Hook or Pan fell short of their promises. After all, disappointment was wonted and habitual throughout her life. Andy assessed the situation mentally, rather addled. So, what did that make of Andy? An agent for Hook? A double agent for Pan? Or a triple agent for herself?

With each footstep against the dark soil, Andy's thoughts trailed further and deeper. How could she gain the trust of the two in order to save her own skin? Hook was easy, but what about Pan? He was a master of schemes, tricks, and games. As she continued to walk through the dark foliage of the jungle, an idea began to form in her head. It was a complicated and risky idea, but an idea nonetheless.

_What if I told Pan about my alliance with Hook?_

The idea seemed incredibly bizarre and insanely stupid, but Andy's mind began to wonder further.

_Pan knows that something is up. What if I lead him off my trail by deliberately revealing my alliance with Hook? _

Andy's dry eyes widened with fear and excitement at the idea. Immediately running off a train of adrenaline and into the unknown, Andy sprinted her way towards Pan's compound.

She ungracefully tripped and stumbled over the overgrown vines, hidden in the forest floor. Stray branches swiped at her face, and dry leaves hitchhiked onto the stands of Andy's hair, blowing wildly through the night air. The darkness of the night concealed most of her path, and she hadn't watched where she was going. She ran straight into a large, solid object with a loud thump, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying to the cold forest ground.

"You know, I would typically complain, but I'm currently enjoying what I'm seeing," Hook chuckled. He held out his hand for her to grab. "And here I thought that you were some superhuman assassin."

Andy grabbed his hand grudgingly, lifting herself from the ground. "I'm human," she defended weakly.

"Of course you are, love," he sighed, rolling his eyes at her stubbornness as she dusted herself off haughtily.

"What are you doing out here anyways? Shouldn't you be back with your group?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I'm not one to socialize," he explained, "especially in family affairs."

"Oh so the pirate captain himself is afraid of invading precious family moments?" Andy teased, crossing her arms across her chest as Hook shook his head, laughing.

"So love, care to explain why you were running before you, fortunately, ran into me? I'm assuming it wasn't for simple exercise."

Andy slightly panicked, remembering what was on her mind before she ran into the pirate captain. First, she betrayed Pan. Now, she was betraying Hook. She was an assassin, not a traitor, but her survival was her top priority. She only hoped that the pale moonlight through the trees would not reflect the gleam of guilt across her eyes. In her defense, she was torn.

"I was looking for you actually," she lied.

Hook's eyes lighted up as a smug smirk spread across his face. He leaned in, curious about the Lost Girl. "Oh really? And what for, may I ask?"

"I wanted to see if there was anything I could help with now that your group has sort of pissed off Pan," she lied further.

"How considerate of you, assassin," he grinned. "Now that Emma's unlocked the map, we need help in infiltrating the camp and removing Henry. We need someone that Pan trusts to help get us in. My thoughts brought me to you. So, any ideas?"

Andy chewed on her bottom lip, thinking hard. How could she help herself, but make it look like she was helping Hook?

"I can help you guys get in, yes. But it's more than just that," she sighed. Hook listened intently. "Once you get in, you need an escape plan. It's not as simple as 'get in, get out.' And by escape plan, I mean not just from Pan's compound, but from Neverland."

"I see," he said deep in thought, scratching his chin.

"Well, how did you arrive in Neverland in the first place?"

"With a compass, which I must politely remind you that you stole, and magic. Perhaps if you could return the compass, we could focus on the subject of magic," he said, his blue looking intensively into hers as if he were challenging and testing her loyalty.

Andy swallowed her pride and reached into her pocket, trapping the cold, metal object in the cage of her anxious fingers. She didn't enjoy placing her trust in others, especially after she promised herself that she would protect her life before anyone else's. However, she needed to gain Hook's trust in order for her plan to succeed. This was a sacrifice she needed to make in order to play the part correctly and soundly. She released her cage around the compass and dropped the magical object grudgingly into Hook's hand.

"Good girl," he grinned and winked, storing the compass in the pocket of his leather coat. Andy grimaced.

"Shut up," she said rolling her eyes.

"And now, on the subject of magic," Hook said, happily patting the pocket occupied by the magic compass.

"About that, I have an idea," Andy offered, hoping that she was convincing enough to maintain Hook's trust. She cleared her throat before speaking.

"I'm all ears, love," Hook nodded, a playful grin spreading across his face.

"Tinker Belle, the fairy who lives on the island. If she still has pixie dust, she's our best bet out of Neverland," Andy said.

"Tink?"

Andy's eyebrows furrowed. "Do you know her?"

"We had a run-in a couple of years ago," Hook grinned, light brightening his blue eyes at the thought of a fond memory.

Andy pursed her lips, and her temple slightly twitched. "So you two _do _know each other. Great," she said, bitter sweetness apparent in her voice. "Perfect."

"Don't tell me you're jealous, love," he laughed. "We're simply acquaintances."

"Oh I am not jealous Hook. The details of your personal life are entirely your business," she waved off, walking away. _He really is full of himself. "Acquaintances," my ass. _

"I can't help it if I'm devilishly handsome," he defended.

"Whatever! I don't want to hear about it."

"Love, where are you going?" he called out, jogging to catch up with her.

"Pan is expecting me. I'm going to get some rest, and so should you," she said, continuing towards the compound.

Hook's amusement was replaced with disappointment. "You'll be back tomorrow though?" Hook asked, insecurity hidden in his words.

"Don't try and miss me too much captain," she teased.

"You'll be the highlight of my dreams," he grinned. "See you tomorrow, love."

Andy rolled her eyes and disappeared into the shadows of the Dark Jungle, leaving a fascinated pirate in her wake.

_**Past**_

_A phantasmagoric spectrum of multicolored lights shone through the stained glass windows of the throne room, making the dark marble floors gleam like the metamorphosing inside of a kaleidoscope. _

_Maleficent stood in the middle of the illuminated room with baby Lilliana in one arm. She observed the small creature intently. Baby Lilliana stared up at the dark fairy with bright, round eyes, a soft twinkle in an ocean of brown. Maleficent's piercing cold eyes stared into that ocean of brown as if she were lost in an ancient library pertaining the entire universe's oblique mysteries and secrets. How can such a small being possess such a strong understanding of the ways of the world without even experiencing them?_

_It's because they haven't experienced the cruel realities of the world yet, but Maleficent had. She was betrayed, rejected, but she thrived in this isolation. This anger, this emptiness was all she had. However, from when she first held the baby Lilliana in her arms, she felt something growing inside of her. The unknown feeling frightened her to her very core. _

_Diaval had said that the feeling was __**love**__. Maleficent had reacted badly, screaming and demanding him to leave her alone. Love was powerful, but love was weakness. Love would be the end of Maleficent. _

_However, she couldn't deny that that the baby was changing something within her, even Diaval had to point it out to her; she was blind. Like she said, the unknown feeling frightened her to her very core. But she couldn't allow this baby to deter her from her goal. She had to remember who she was and why. She was angry. She was hurt. That's all there was to Maleficent. She was a villain and nothing more. No one, not even the innocent little baby of her sworn nemesis, could ever change that. _

**Present**

Andy arrived at the compound, fingers rather numb from the anxiety of the future events. She was nervous. She wasn't sure about how Pan would react to her "alliance" to Hook. Hopefully, he would give her a chance to explain. Her plan wasn't meant to be entirely selfish. In her defense, it was a fool-proof plan. If Hook failed her, she still had Pan's trust and guaranteed survival, and if Pan disappointed her, then she had Hook's promise of a future. She took a deep breath, mustering the courage to face Pan.

She climbed the ladder to Pan's treehouse, appropriately the highest one in the compound. Once her feet stepped onto the wooden platform of the balcony, she heard Pan's voice from inside. "Come in."

Andy did as she was told and entered. Pan was lying down on the white bed, arms behind his back. His eyes were fixed on the open ceiling at the stars, not even acknowledging Andy's presence in the doorway.

"Pan?" Andy said gently.

He removed his eyes from the radiant constellations and met Andy's in a locked gaze. Were his eyes always that shade of green?

"You did good today Andy. The Prince, good choice. Really stirs things up. I was a little worried earlier," he admitted.

Andy moved towards the bed.

"Why were you worried?"

"You seemed distant. I mean, normally, you are rather indifferent. But you didn't seem excited. You usually love using Dreamshade."

Andy bit her tongue before responding. "I was tired that's all."

"If you say so," he said, unconvinced.

Silence filled the air, choking a blunt response out of Andy.

"I'm working with Hook," she admitted, color draining from her face. There was no turning back now. She had jumped completely into an unfathomable abyss.

The look in Pan's eyes was unreadable. Silence hung in the air. The spotlight was burning down on Andy, and Pan was merely a spectator.

"Hook offered me a deal - to work against you and help his group. In return, he would give me a home back in Storybrooke," Andy confessed in a clear voice. "And I said I would help him and his group find your compound and retrieve Henry."

Pan's expression remained stoic, the calm before the storm.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked after another moment of silence.

Andy took a deep breath before delivering the icing on the cake. "I told him that I would help his group into the compound." Pan was now on his feet, advancing towards Andy who stood her ground boldly.

His face was now inches from hers. He was close enough to either kiss her or snap her neck.

"I told him that I would lead him straight to you and Henry," Andy continued.

Pan pressed his forehead against hers, their noses touching. He looked deeply into her brown eyes, searching for a non verbal explanation to her confession. Her soft honey brown eyes possessed no look of panic or alarm at the contact of his warm skin against hers.

"And why would you tell him that?" he questioned, his voice deep and dangerous.

Andy wetted her lips and spoke. "I told him that I could lead the group straight to you..."

Pan raised an eyebrow, allowing her to continue.

"So that you could enjoy the satisfaction of killing them yourself," Andy finished.

Pan stood against Andy, a current of heat flowing between the thin line separating their tense bodies. Andy watched him closely as his mouth curved into a wicked grin.

"Earn their trust and then pounce when their backs are turned," he summarized in a low voice. His eyes bored into hers, hazy with a thick cloud of want and desire. "Now that, A, is how you play the game."

And with those words, Pan lips captured Andy's possessively in a hot, passionate kiss, their bodies locked in a tight, electric embrace, eliminating any remaining sliver of space between the two of them. His hands moved feverishly up and down Andy's body, an expert at her game.

Pan had moved them from their spot in the room by pushing Andy up against the wall of the bedroom. He loved the feeling of control he had over her as he pressed his firm body against hers. He loved the feeling of battle when she refused to be dominated by him.

Andy struggled to remain unresponsive and indifferent, but her body was betraying her. It was impossible not to let out a moan as their tongues battled for dominance.

Overwhelmed by the heat intensifying inside of her, Andy ran her hands through Pan's wild hair, gripping on desperately and pulling him closer as he removed his lips from hers and placed them on the delicate skin of her neck, marking her as his. Pan grinned smugly when he heard her let out a tiny whimper as he nipped at the skin below her ear, her soft spot.

"Don't even try and pretend, Andy," he grunted out against her lips in between an exchange of hot kisses. She tugged harder on his hair and wrapped her long legs around his waist, driving him crazy.

_Pretend? Crap. What is he talking about? Does he know?_

"Don't try and pretend like you don't want me. You do. Badly," he breathed against her lips. "So no matter how hard this pirate tries to convince you that he's on your side, or charm you, remember that he will never be able to make you feel like the way I make you feel. He will never be able to make you scream as loud as I can. You owe me. You will never be his or anyone else's. You are mine, Andrea Lux."

_**Past**_

_They had just arrived in Neverland. Pan held Andrea's bloody body in his arms as they landed gently on the forest floor of the compound. Most of the Lost Boys were lost in their slumbers and cries, all except for one who eyed the pair dangerously. _

_"And what do we have here?" the hooded Lost Boy asked, leaning casually and comfortably against the trunk of a tree, lazily twirling his large club across the dark soil. His grey eyes looked up and met the commanding state of his leader. "A girl, Pan? Really?"_

_"She's not just some regular girl, Felix," Pan defended in a firm voice. He lowered Andrea's limp body onto the soil. _

_"I don't care Pan! We can't have a girl in Neverland. We're the Lost Boys!" Felix argued, grey eyes flashing with betrayal. _

_"Why are you so concerned about having a girl in Neverland? Are you scared of cooties or something Felix?" Pan mocked, leaning over Andrea's body. She was still alive, and her heartbeat was growing louder and stronger with each breath she took. _

_"No! You shouldn't be concerned about me; you should worry about yourself."_

_"Excuse me?" Pan questioned his second-in-command in a threateningly low voice. He stood and turned to face Felix, who stood firmly in his spot. _

_"We're young; we're teenagers," he began. _

_"And?" Pan asked, raising an eyebrow. _

_"Whether we like it or not, we have hormones. We are slaves to our bodies, to human desire," he explained. _

_Pan remained silent, interested in what Felix had to say. _

_"And here in Neverland, we may be invincible, but there exists the one thing that can undo us, the strongest magic in existence."_

_"And what is that?"_

_"Love."_

_Thick silence hung in the air. _

_"Love makes one weak; it ruins them."_

_Pan stared at Felix before opening his mouth. He let out a dark chuckle. Felix observed his leader curiously. Pan had to hold his stomach to contain his laughs. _

_"I don't understand. What's so funny about that?" Felix demanded. _

_"Love? Really Felix?" Pan laughed darkly. "Human desire? Love isn't derived from human desire. Lust, perhaps. But not love."_

_Felix opened his mouth to speak, but Pan held up a hand to silence him. _

_"This girl means absolute dirt to me. She is a mere possession of mine; that is all. She is nothing but a pawn in my game, and a mere game piece will never be enough to topple the game maker," Pan explained as Felix's fears were eased and reduced. "Do not expect me to treat her special. She is nothing."_

_"Good. I'm glad," Felix smirked smugly. _

_"And you and I will make sure that she is reminded of what she is - a Lost Girl."_

**Present**

The sun had not yet risen, and the birds had not yet begun their morning orchestra. Only the faint buzzing of insects could be heard through the open window of the treehouse. The white curtains remained motionless, awaiting their morning waltz with the gentle breeze from the ocean.

Andy stared out of the open window with a blank stare, eyes vacant and melancholic. Her bright face was pressed against a white pillow, a thin line spread across her plump lips into a frown. She had done it again. She thought that sleeping with Pan would be enough to distract her from her inward turmoil, but it only highlighted her emptiness, her numbness. She felt trapped in a void.

Pan's arms were wrapped around her slender waist, and his warm breath trailed down the smooth curve of her bare and exposed back. Andy tossed around in the white sheets, face to face with the sleeping devil. She observed Pan's features as he soundly slept. His green eyes were concealed behind soft eyelids and fluttering eyelashes. He looked so innocent. How could such a pure-looking boy be capable of such unspeakable things?

Here was the boy who caused her so much pain and grief, but Andy couldn't help but want to stay in his arms. She wanted to forget all of the hurt he caused her, but she couldn't. It wasn't right.

Andy felt something stir within her, something unexplainable. She gently pushed the wild hair away from his shut green eyes, revealing his innocent features even more. Andy leaned in, mesmerized by his warm breath dancing with and caressing the soft blush across her cheeks. She gently pressed her lips against his, holding his face in her hand. The unexplainable feeling within her grew as her heartbeat raced at the meeting of their lips.

Andy pulled away, the feeling within her slowly dying out. The emptiness returned and settled in her stomach, reminding her of who the boy was - Peter Pan. He treated her like a piece of flesh. She was inane to think that Pan could be able to make her feel...something, anything. He reminded her insistently that she was nothing but an assassin and a slave. She had no value. She was a mere game piece. She was a nobody, a Lost Girl.

Vexed, she removed his arms from around her waist, and escaped from the heat of the bed. She scrambled around the room, stealthily collecting her clothes, which were scattered around the room. She dressed herself, feeling her dignity restore itself. By the time Andy had finished fixing her tangled hair, the sun was beginning to rise above the horizon of the brilliant blue ocean, illuminating the sky with a blaze of red and orange.

Andy took that as a cue to leave. She did, after all, hate morning talks and dealing with Pan's smugness right after they spent the night together. She felt like maintaining her dignity that day. So, she made her way out of the room and down the ladder of the treehouse.

She surveyed the crowd of the sleeping boys. Their eyes were shut, but their eyebrows were furrowed as if they were having a bad dream. As she made her way through the compound, her heart froze, and her throat closed up tightly. It was _him. _

He was sitting alone a log, back facing Andy. He had the same dark brown hair, messy and unkept. Happiness flooded Andy's brown eyes as she raced over to the lone boy on the log.

"Bae!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the boy, tears flowing from her tired eyes. "I can't believe you're here! I am so sorry, Bae. I am so sorry!"

Her words came out in choked sobs. She wiped away at the tears, clearing her bleary vision.

"Who are you?" the boy asked.

"What do you mean? Bae, it's me, Andy," she said, meeting the confused stare of the boy in her arms.

Her eyes widened at the boy as she realized that this wasn't the same boy as she had thought. Her removed herself from the tight hug, words caught in her throat. He was a complete stranger.

She was confused. The boy looked _exactly _like Baelfire. He had the same hair, same height, same awkward poise. Although, the boy did have a different eye color than Bae's. Bae's had been a deep brown whereas the boy's eyes were hazel. However, they had the same innocent yet stubborn twinkle in them. Still, he was a completely different person.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not the person you think I am. My name is Henry," he explained with sympathetic eyes.

Andy looked dumbfounded. Her jaw was dropped, and her eyes were saddened at the news. She swallowed her saliva to moisten her dry and cracked voice. "I am so sorry Henry. I just thought that you were -"

"Baelfire?"

Andy stared at him with surprised eyes. "Do you know him? Where is he? Is he ok? I haven't seen him in years."

Henry stared at Andy, words failing him. How could he tell her? The look in his eyes told Andy that what he was about to say wasn't good.

"Emma is my mom."

Andy knew this much, after Pan had explained the reason for the Storybrooke group's presence in Neverland. She nodded for Henry to continue.

"Baelfire is my dad," he said. "I knew him by the name of Neal Cassidy."

Andy's expression softened. So, Baelfire had grown up. A sense of sadness succeeded her feeling of happiness. She had missed it all, Bae growing up. He had moved on and forgotten Andy. He had made a new life for himself, along with a new name to fit. He deserved to be happy, though. She managed a small yet sad smile. He deserved to forget about Andy; she hadn't forgiven herself quite just yet for what she did to Bae.

"Is he here with your mom? I haven't seen him yet," Andy said, eager to see what Bae looked like now. She had missed him so much.

Henry's expression fell, the color draining from his face. Andy's eyes flooded with fear at what he had to say.

"My dad is dead."


	7. The Right Regrets

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or Maleficent. If I did, I would keep Pan, Hook, and Diaval all to myself. ;)**

**A/N: Sorry for the slow updates; finals are just around the corner for me so I've been quite busy. Nevertheless, do not fret; I'm not going anywhere. Let me know what you think about the story by leaving a review! I'm really curious to hear your thoughts. :)**

_**Past**_

_Felix stared at the girl's body, waiting for something to happen. His leader insisted that this girl was not some ordinary girl. Hence, he was compelled to take her back from Neverland to escape death. Initially, Felix felt an immediate hatred for the girl; nobody would topple his leader, not even some plain girl with some microscopic, irrelevant fingernail above normality. Felix was worried when he saw the amount of concern and heed in his leader's eyes. However, the waves of his fears crashed against the shoreline, receding back into the ocean, when he was reminded of who his leader was - Peter Pan; he never failed. _

_The clouds of Felix's thoughts faded, clearing the image of reality behind all its haziness. A strong, biting wind coursed through the compound, inviting dead, forlorn leaves from the cruel condemnation of the mundane ambience of the soil to the liberty of the wild, the rowdy rager. The wind circled around the girl's body, creating a powerful vortex, which demanded the participation of the dry, dead leaves in its increasing heartbeat. She remained untroubled, a calm, verdant flower in the eye of the bedlam. A single beam of violet light shot through the vortex and into the sky. Felix stared at the spectacle in wonder. He squinted his eyes at the girl's body, which was now levitating above the ground and glowing in a blinding violet aura. Her warm brown eyes were hidden underneath the protection of her eyelids, her dark, wispy eyelashes guarding the gate to the castle. The kingdom was peaceful and still while all those around her were lost in a storm of chaos. What was happening?_

_A loud, triumphant roar filled the air, shaking the trees violently and powerfully. Felix had to grip tightly onto the log he was sitting on to prevent his body from flailing back into the shadows of the Dark Jungle. The roar died out as did the wind, and the girl's body returned back onto the forest floor. When her back touched the brown soil, her eyes snapped open, the soul of the castle liberated from a weightless limbo. _

_Her eyes darted around the compound wildly, hopelessly confused and panicked. She let out a loud gasp of surprise when she spotted Felix eyeing her curiously on the log. She backed up slowly as he stood up, advancing towards her._

"_Who are you?" she demanded, bracing herself for a fight._

"_I'm Felix," he declared with a certain air. "Who are you?"_

"_I'm Andrea Lux," she said with a shaky voice._

_"No you're not," a different voice interjected, emerging from the shadows of the trees. His green eyes glimmered in the white moonlight. _

"_What do you mean?"_

"_You're Andy now," the boy decided. _

"_Says who?" Andrea challenged._

"_Says me, Peter Pan," he smirked. "Your name is Andy now. Andrea is too formal, too feminine." The last word hung on his tongue awkwardly. _

"_You're Peter Pan. You saved my life. How could I ever repay-"_

"_I'm gonna stop you there with the whole gratitude thing," he interrupted, holding a hand up. "You speak only when spoken to. You only leave this compound when I let you. Lastly, you're entitled to fulfill any demands I may have."_

_Andrea narrowed her eyes. A sense of irritation replaced her sense of gratitude. "I'm not some slave that you can boss around." She was reminded of the horrible woman she lived with in Hamelin for sixteen years. "I'm not a piece of property." She heard Felix scoff and shake his head, amused. _

"_Actually, you are," he grinned, stepping closer. "You just asked me how you could ever repay me. You see, I saved your life. Therefore, the only way you can repay me is with your life, meaning you are to dedicate your entire life to me."_

_The color drained from Andrea's face. This was some horrible dream. She would wake up in her haystack to the shouts and demands of the woman in Hamelin, not Peter Pan in Neverland. _

"_Rufio!" Pan called out. A boy, roughly around the age of Pan emerged from the shadows of the Dark Jungle. He wore a ripped black shirt, tight black pants, leather combat boots, and a skull necklace around his tan neck. His black hair was styled in wildly in jagged, menacing spikes, racing along streaks of of fiery, angry reds. He had a sinister gleam in his black eyes, clouded with dark shadows and streaks, which made Andrea's stomach turn. He had his hands behind his back._

"_Yes, Pan?" he answered, stepping beside his leader._

"_Target practice," Pan said simply, grin widening._

_Rufio revealed the crossbow he had been holding behind his back, showing it off in full display to a terrified Andrea. Pan pulled a bright red, sinful apple out of his pocket, tossing it up and down like a baseball. _

"_You and I are going to play a little game," he said, locking Andrea in a gaze in which it felt like they were the only two people in the word. Andrea expected him to toss the apple to her, but was stunned when Rufio shoved the heavy crossbow into her arms. _

"_I don't understand," Andrea muttered. holding the crossbow stiffly._

"_You'll be the one doing the shooting," Pan said, tossing the apple to Felix and backing away from the two along with Rufio. _

_Felix carefully placed the apple atop his dirty blonde head, stormy grey eyes eyeing Andrea daringly, testing her willpower. "Shoot. Shoot. Shoot," he chanted._

_Pan and Rufio smiled at their comrade, joining in his chant. The sound of their chants increased, beating against the temples of Andrea. She held the crossbow nervously as more Lost Boys emerged out of the trees, joining in on the growing furor, feeding the wood to the flames. Their bloodthirsty eyes were glued to the girl, challenging her to prove herself in Neverland. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a younger Lost Boy, about fourteen to fifteen years old with a worried look in his hazel eyes, slightly hidden behind a mess of dark brown waves. _

_Andrea met the eyes of the young boy, feeling a sense of comfort as he watched her worriedly. He wasn't like the others at all. He was different. He understood Andrea._

_Surged with a new wave of hope, Andrea lifted up the crossbow and aimed it towards Felix, the chants of the Lost Boys, all except one, coursing through the compound and dissipating into a cloud of chaos. Andrea inhaled, letting the cold air sit in her lungs before she swiftly changed the direction of her aim and released the arrow, letting it cut through the brisk air and fly straight towards Pan's chest. _

_However, Pan knew the angle she was playing at, the angle which abided to her own rules, not Pan's. He grabbed the arrow effortlessly and held it stiffly in his tight grip, its Dreamshade-laced tip lingering dangerously above his heart. _

_The Lost Boys let out a collection of gasps, panic stirring in the air. This girl had just tried to eliminate their leader. Andrea was encircled by a snare of narrowed eyes and burning blood._

"_You've got a thirst for blood, a certain fire," Pan commented, fingers dancing and twiddling around the wooden shaft. The Lost Boys were glued to the excitement. "I like fire."_

_He began to walk towards Andrea who remained frozen in her position. She gulped as he eyed her wickedly, gripping the arrow firmly in his hand._

"_And what I like about fire is both its strength and weakness," he continued. "It can either grow and consume all around it, or it can be destroyed and forgotten with a single breath."_

_He grabbed Andrea's shoulder and pulled her close, holding the poisoned tip of the arrow against her throat, grazing its delicate surface. She let out a whimper as tears began to form in her eyes. _

"_Please," she breathed, heartbeat racing madly. "Don't kill me."_

"_Kill you?" he questioned. "What fun would that be?" The arrow's deadly, poisoned tip was still pressed against Andrea's throat. "No, killing you would be too generous. You may have escaped death, but you will never escape Neverland. You will never escape me."_

_Which was worse? To die standing and escape this life of condemnation, or to live on her knees as a shadow of her former self? _

_"Pan, stop it," a voice demanded. Andrea's eyes followed the sound of the voice, her savior. It was the boy with hazel eyes, the one who wasn't like the other Lost Boys. He stepped forward. _

_The Lost Boys stared at him in shock. No one dared to question Pan. _

_Pan narrowed his eyes at the boy. _

_"Excuse me, Baelfire? Did you just ask me to stop?" he questioned, his words dangerously toxic. _

_The boy stood his ground bravely. "I didn't ask."_

_Pan let out a scoff, looking around incredulously. He shook his head. "You're not getting it, are you? Do you know who I am?"_

_"I know who you are, Pan. It doesn't mean you have the right to treat others like dirt," Baelfire criticized. _

_Pan laughed loudly. "It actually does. This is Neverland. These are my rules, and speaking out of term is breaking the rules. You want to know what I do to people who break my rules?"_

_Pan released his hold on Andrea, the arrow still in his grip. Baelfire's eyes widened as he advanced towards him. Andrea watched the boy still stand his ground firmly despite his anxiety. How could he, Baelfire, manage to risk his life like that, questioning Pan's authority?_

_"I assume it's not a good thing," Baelfire shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant despite the growing pit of nausea in his stomach. _

_An unreadable gleam flashed across Pan's eyes. He smirked, satisfied and confident that he had won this game. _

_"You assumed correctly," he mocked, making a move to swipe the arrow at Baelfire. _

_"NO!" Andrea yelled, running in front of Baelfire and taking the fatal swipe of Dreamshade across her face. She let out a pained gasp and collapsed to the ground, holding her freshly cut cheek with trembling, shocked fingers now painted a striking color of crimson. _

_"Why did you do that?!" Baelfire demanded, running towards her shaking body. He kneeled over her, worriedly holding her face to assess the damage. "No. No. No. This is not good!"_

_Pan's expression remained stoic, neither shocked or regretful of his actions. He simply watched and waited. _

_Baelfire watched the black poison spread into the cut, coloring her veins dark upon her paled cheeks. _

"_Why did you try to save me?" Baelfire asked her._

_She gave him a weak smile. "You tried to save me," she justified._

_He returned her answer with a small smile. "You're stubborn, aren't you?"_

"_So are you."_

_Baelfire opened his mouth to respond, but instead no words came out. The black poison which had been spreading into the cut on Andrea's face were now receding back onto the surface of her cheeks and out of her veins. A violet light, like the one that Felix had witnessed but to a smaller scale, glowed in the crevasse of her cut as a small breeze danced through her tangled, brunette locks. The Dreamshade formed into a small black pool and dripped down her soft face and onto the forest floor, lost and hidden as the violet aura died out with the gentle wind rustling her hair. _

"_How?" was all Baelfire could muster out._

_Felix eyed the situation cautiously. This was why Pan was so interested in her. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pan smirk, satisfied with his observations._

"_Well boys," Pan began, "it looks like our new Lost Girl has a lot of training to do."_

**Present**

"He's dead?" Andy choked out, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.

Henry nodded, lowering his head sadly. "Did you know him well?"

He looked up and met Andy's eyes. Andy was looking straight at Baelfire. She couldn't bring herself to answer verbally, so she simply nodded her head. Andy placed her hand on his shoulder, deeply reminded of the way she would do that to Baelfire; it always made her feel better, like she had a purpose by protecting him.

Andy was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense to protect the boy, Baelfire's son Henry. She would not let Pan use him like a pawn. She would do it for Bae. This was the only way she could say sorry; this was the only way she could honor his memory properly.

"I'm gonna help you Henry," she whispered, making sure that no one would overhear them. "I'm gonna help you find your family."

Henry stared at her with wonder. A light of happiness flooded his eyes, a smile stretching onto his face, the same smile that Bae had.

This was her redemption. _I hope that you can forgive me now, Bae. This is all for you._

_**Past**_

"_Can I please just rest?! I've been doing this all day! I don't want to do this anymore!" Andy pleaded, sweat dripping down her face. She felt like she was about to throw up. Bruises and cuts covered her arms._

"_You'll rest when Pan tells you to," Felix replied with a smug smirk, playing with his sword in the soil. "Until then, get up and stop whining. You're not finished."_

_Andy glared up at him, her blood boiling with an intense hatred. She grabbed her dagger and grudgingly stood up. Felix raised an eyebrow at her, challenging her. Andy let out a yell, charging at him with all her might. Felix simply sidestepped and knocked her to her feet, smacking her across her back with the helm of his sword. _

_Andy smacked the ground with a loud grunt._

"_That should be good enough Felix," Pan announced from the shadows of the compound. "I'll take it from here."_

_Pan stepped forward as Felix retreated back into the Dark Jungle, whistling happily at the damage he caused. _

"_So, how's it going little Lost Girl?" Pan mocked, kneeling down over her. "Tired, are we?"_

"_Pan, shut up," she panted._

"_Ahh, there's that fire I like," he grinned. "Come on." He held out a hand for her to grab. She glared at him, refusing his assistance. _

"_Where are we going?" she asked him, eyeing him cautiously._

"_Nowhere," he said simply._

"_Pan, what do you want?" she demanded._

"_Just something of yours that belongs to me," he said, reaching into her chest with a satisfied grin. She let out a pained gasp, eyes shutting from shock. Pan's eyes widened in fear and his smile disappeared when he reached around her beating heart, but was blown back with a tremendous explosion of violet light. Andy's body flew back, unconscious from the shock. Pan stood up from where he landed, a look of concern across his devilish face. He stumbled around, disoriented and flew away from the compound to his safe haven, his place of regret - the Thinking Tree._

_He began to pace. What had gone wrong? Pan never failed, then why the hell did his plan just fail?_

"_You've failed," a silky, deep voice mocked. A feeling of dread washed over Pan's face. _

"_Why did I fail?" Pan demanded, facing the ethereal body of the Shadow, which floated in front of him, faceless._

"_Her heart is not yours to take; it does not belong to you," the Shadow explained._

"_Why not?" Pan demanded, green eyes narrowing._

"_Stealing what is not yours is a crime against the Laws of Neverland."_

"_The Laws?" Pan cried incredulously. "What rules? I make the rules."_

"_You may own the Lost Boys, but you do not own Neverland or its magic."_

"_So, I cannot own the girl's heart if I do not own the girl?" Pan asked._

_The Shadow remained silent._

"_Well, there's that pretty little loophole I was looking for," Pan laughed. "It's simple then. Own the girl, own the heart."_

"_It's not in my place to say," the Shadow said in a grave voice._

"_You just don't want to admit that I'm right. I will own that heart of hers, and to do so, I have to own her. I never fail, and that Lost Girl is now mine," Pan grinned._

**Present**

Andy made her way through the jungle. She could justify her triple agent status now that she was motivated by her need to protect Henry rather than by a selfish need to protect herself.

In the distance, she could see the campfire of the Storybrooke group welcoming her into its warm presence, a hero's welcome. However, she entered the camp boldly and rather naively, and was met with a not so warm welcome as she had anticipated.

"Stop!" a woman yelled at her.

It was the Savior holding a sword as she advanced towards Andy. Behind Emma were Snow and Charming, also in defense mode and armed with a bow and arrow and sword, respectively. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a bright flame levitating in the hand of a smug Regina. Andy held up her hands in peace.

"Who are you?" Emma demanded, alarm in her eyes. Andy opened her mouth to speak, but the Evil Queen beat her to it.

"I know who she is," she heard Regina sneer. She walked up behind her, circling her in a tight glare. "She's the little brat who blew up the ship."

"Pan's girl," Charming concluded.

"I'm not anybody's girl," Andy spat, vexed. Where the hell was Hook when she needed him?

"Oh yeah? Then why did you blow up the ship?" Emma questioned.

"To make it look like I was on Pan's side," Andy explained with an agitated sigh.

"Really? You expect us to believe that? If you're not on Pan's side, whose side are you on?" Regina demanded.

"Yours!" she half-lied.

Regina scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"You don't even know us! Give me one reason not to kill you," Regina demanded.

"Regina!" Snow scolded.

"Well I'm sorry! The more time we waste being righteous, the more time Pan has to hurt Henry."

"But killing her is not an option! Do you remember what happened with the mermaid?" Snow reminded fiercely.

"Whatever!" Regina waved off. "I'm not trusting this one, especially after what she did to the ship. Who's to say she won't slice us up with some Dreamshade?"

Andy saw Charming's body tense up. She felt rather bad about that now, given the twisted circumstances.

"Regina, listen to me. We need to hear her out-"

"I don't want to! What I want is my son-"

"Wait!" Andy interjected. All eyes turned to her. "I know your son, Henry."

Regina's hard expression softened as she stared at her. Andy had hit her in the right spot. The weapons around her were lowered at this claim.

"You know Henry," Emma said softly. Looks like Andy had killed two birds with one stone with that one.

"I do," Andy nodded, meeting Emma's look with a sympathetic glance. "I just didn't know that he had two mothers."

Regina and Emma exchanged an understanding glance.

"I'm his biological mom. Regina adopted him. Is he alright? Is he hurt?" she asked, worried.

"He's alright. Pan has no intentions of hurting him," Andy reported.

"Then why the hell does Pan want him?" Regina asked.

"He's a special boy; I'm sure you all knew that." The group around her nodded. "Pan needs him to save Neverland. He's got the heart of the truest believer."

"What does that mean?" Snow asked.

"It means that Pan wants to gain Henry's trust to turn him into a Lost Boy. Once that is complete, Henry will never want to leave Neverland, regardless of whether you find him or not," Andy explained.

"So how can you help us?" Emma asked, her voice subliminally desperate, guilt flooding her eyes.

"I take it that you have an entry plan into Pan's compound, but are finding difficulties with an escape plan. I have an idea of where to find an escape plan."

Emma nodded, worries eased.

"And why do you want to help us?" Regina questioned.

Andy sighed and responded. "Years ago, I made decision, a selfish one. And the cost of that decision was losing my best friend who was like a brother to me, Baelfire."

Emma looked up at her with wide, sad eyes. Charming and Snow lowered their heads sadly. Regina pursed her lips.

"You knew Baelfire?" Snow asked.

"I did. And Henry is the only way that I can make up for that mistake," Andy concluded with a saddened sigh, trying to keep her voice from breaking. She had cried enough tears already within the last few days.

"Who are you?" Snow asked.

"My name is Andrea Lux or Andy if you prefer. I came to Neverland some years ago after escaping death. Pan saved me and made me his Lost Girl, to carry out some of his dirty work. That doesn't mean you can't trust me. My loyalty doesn't lie with Pan."

"So you're saying your loyalty lies with us?" Regina asked.

"Not necessarily, no," she admitted. "The only person I've ever pledged my loyalty to was Baelfire. Given the circumstances, that loyalty has now been inherited by Henry. Please, let me help you and your group. I need to do this for Baelfire."

Emma met her eyes in a sympathetic glance. Swallowing her pride, she nodded.

"Ok," Emma concluded. "Lead the way."

Andy nodded and began to walk, but stopped.

"Wait. Where's Hook?"

"Right here, love," she heard his voice from the jungle. He stepped out of the foliage, rum in hand.

"You two know each other?" Emma questioned, suspicious.

"Aye," Hook nodded. "This is the lass who's been feeding me all of Pan's secrets."

"Well, why didn't you say anything?" Emma asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"I was waiting for the right opportunity. Unfortunately that opportunity passed, and here we are," Hook explained, sending a wink to Andy who mouthed a thank you. "She was the one who suggested that we recruit Tink in our mission to save Henry."

"You two have been working together this entire time?" Regina asked. "What made you want to join our side?"

"Look, I'm just here to help you guys get to Henry, that's all. No more questions," Andy requested. "Like Regina said: we can't waste any more time than we already have. This is about Henry not me." She nodded her head promptly, stepping into the Dark Jungle, followed by the Storybrooke group as well as the interested gaze of a concerned captain.

Andy led the group outside of a rock engrossed in the side of a hill. A small wooden door was concealed by the overgrown foliage, suggesting that the place had been abandoned for quite some time.

"What is this supposed to be?" Regina questioned, holding a lantern to the structure.

"So what? Neal swung out of Neverland on a vine?" the Savior asked, observing the collection of vines travelling along the surface of the rock.

"Not exactly. Unfortunately, it's not that simple. If someone could help me out, we might be able to find some clues as to how Baelfire, or Neal, escaped Neverland," Andy said, reaching for the rope along the wall of the rock.

"I'll do it," Hook and David said at the same time, taking the rope from Andy's hands.

David began pulling on the rope, lifting the door up. However, with each pull, he panted. Hook eyed him knowingly and took over the job.

"Ladies first," Hook motioned towards the now-open entry.

Andy met his bow with a small smile, leading the way into the cave. It was dark, but Andy remembered the entry like the back of her hand. She led the group to the open space of the cave and waited for Hook and David to join them.

"Andy?" Emma started, her voice distant in the darkness. "What is this? What are we doing here?"

Andy reached inside the tangles of her hair, pulling out a single match. She simply struck it against the cave wall, igniting it. She carefully placed the flame against a torch hidden in the dark corner of the cave, illuminating the cave.

It was exactly how she remembered it: the scribbled drawings along the cave walls, the cluttered objects scattered around the room. It was like she was returning home after a long, lost journey.

Emma's eyes lit up with wonder, but were hazed by a cloud of vacantness, a sense of loss and remorse.

"Neal," she breathed out.

"This was his home, our home," she muttered, voice sadly quieting down at the last part as she lowered her head.

"Aye," Hook said. "Baelfire spent some time in Neverland as a boy."

"You knew Baelfire?" Andy asked, turning to face him.

Hook gave her a small, sympathetic smile and nodded.

"So you think Neal left behind a clue as to how he left Neverland?" Snow asked.

"Well, I hope so," Andy said as the group spread out, admiring and analyzing the scribbled drawings on the walls. "Otherwise, we're completely lost."

"Knowing that Rumplestiltskin is his father, I think he picked up a couple of tricks," Snow commented.

"What do you mean?" David asked.

"When Emma and I visited the Enchanted Forest, Cora trapped us in Rumplestiltskin's cell. He left behind a way to get out of the cell with squid ink. Let's just hope that Neal left behind something as well," Snow explained.

The group dispersed and split up around the cave, slowly observing the various drawings on the walls. After some time, Andy took a seat on a tower of crates as the rest of the group continued to wander around, searching for a way to escape Neverland. Hook observed her detachedness and took a seat beside her.

"What do you want Hook?" she asked.

"Well based on everyone's opinion about me, I came here for decent conversation. It seems like you're the only one who understands my wounded soul," he joked.

She scoffed. "Hmmm. I can say the same."

"Believe or not, love, I actually like talking to you," he admitted with a grin.

"Believe or not captain, I agree," Andy said, biting her lip.

"Are we the designated wallflowers of this party?" Hook joked. Andy rolled her eyes at him. She couldn't help but notice how close their bodies were; it was comforting though.

"I suppose so," Andy nodded.

"Well, I suppose this moment is most opportune for getting to know one another. Where did you come from?"

"Same realm as you: the Enchanted Forest."

"How long have you been here? And how old are you anyways? You don't look 100 years old," he joked. Andy punched his shoulder teasingly.

"So many questions tonight Captain. I came to Neverland when I was 19. Physically, I'm 19, I suppose. In actuality, I'm probably more. I don't know how long I've been here because time moves slowly in Neverland. From what I've heard, it appears that I escaped some curse?"

"Aye. I escaped it as well. I was stuck in the Enchanted Forest for 28 years as time froze."

"Must've been lonely."

"Wait. That means you've been on this island for 28 years."

"It's honestly felt like a month," Andy laughed, but a feeling of loss bubbled in the pit of her stomach. Had it really been that long?

"Aye. I was stuck in Neverland for some years as well."

"Ahh. Preserving your good looks I suppose," Andy joked as Hook let out a laugh. "Anyways,10, 20, 30 years? I've honestly lost count. That's what happens in Neverland, but time is running out here. Neverland is dying. No one believes in it anymore. No more children visiting in their dreams. That's why Pan kidnapped Henry. He has the heart of the truest believer."

"But why did he kidnap you?"

"I was dying. He saved me and brought me here. Honestly, I wish I had died."

"But you wouldn't be here right now, talking to me."

"That's true. I guess that's one thing I'm thankful for," Andy smiled at him.

Her eyes travelled to a particular cave drawing of an empty house with its occupants standing outside of it with frowns upon their faces. "He used to love drawing."

"He got it from his mother," Hook added. Andy looked over at him, interested in knowing more, but the look in Hook's eyes told Andy that it wasn't her place to pry.

"So, did you find anything useful from the drawings?" Andy asked, changing the subject.

"Nothing in particular, no," Hook frowned. "They appear as they are - just drawings. Looks like Baelfire just needed a way to pass the time on Neverland."

"It sounds like you knew him pretty well," Andy commented.

Hook seemed lost in thought, detached from reality as if he were lamenting over something. "We spent some time together," he said, voice distant. "Earlier at the camp, I heard what you told Regina and Emma. Baelfire, it seems like you knew him really well."

"I did. He was the only one who stood out from the Lost Boys. He understood me. He was like my brother, a stubborn one," she laughed at the last part.

"Aye, he was."

"And you knew him too," Andy added.

"That I did," Hook answered, debating on whether or not to reveal his story to Andy. However, the way she looked at him made him feel like it was ok to be anything other than a pirate; it was ok to be human. "I was the first person he met when he arrived in Neverland. Gave him a spot on my ship."

"What happened?" she asked.

"He discovered something about me and his mother," Hook admitted, a certain pain resurfacing in his chest.

"Milah. I saw the name on your tattoo so I just assumed."

"Milah was my first love. She was killed by the Dark One after she ran away with me," Hook explained, eyes darkening with anger. "That's why I came to Neverland in the first place. I needed to find a way to kill the Dark One and avenge Milah's death. And then, I met Bae. He made me forget about my vengeance, made me feel whole. Then, he discovered that I was the man who his mother ran away with. He blamed me for tearing apart his family. So he left me and the Jolly Roger, joined Pan, and met you."

"Wait, now you're working with the Dark One... Indirectly," she pointed out, rather confused.

"Yes," Hook sighed. "It wasn't the ideal future I had in mind. I only live for love and revenge. My love was murdered and I can't seem to have my revenge."

"It looks like you need something else to live for. Maybe you haven't found it yet," she suggested with a shrug.

"Maybe I have." Hook locked her in a tight gaze. The look in his eyes told her everything. Andy felt a pull in her stomach. He was so close to her...

"Hook, you're not just a pirate," she said, quickly changing the subject and pulling herself away from his intense gaze.

"Why do you say that?" 

"Because you knew that there was more to me than just a cold-hearted assassin. I don't believe there's such a thing as a good or bad person. I think it has to do more with our choices. We're all just humans making either good choices or bad choices, which all affects how people see us," Andy explained. 

"Regina told me something interesting; villains don't get happy endings." 

"I think that's because we get so consumed in how others view us that we start to believe in what they say as well." 

He looked at her, genuinely. He didn't see some Lost Girl or some assassin. He looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time for who she truly was, a beautiful young woman.

"Hook! Andy! Snuff out that torch!" Emma requested. She held a coconut shell in one hand with a lit candle in its center and the other half of the coconut shell in her other hand. Andy and Hook did what they were told, extinguishing the torch, awaiting Emma's next move. She combined the two coconut shells, the candlelight radiating through its holes.

"Am I supposed to be impressed that preteen Baelfire made a nightlight?" Regina scoffed.

"Wait," Emma began, "look up."

A thousand stars smiled down upon the group from the ceiling of the cave, showing off their elaborate constellations and beauty. Andy looked up in wonder. She recalled the time when Bae had been playing with that particular coconut, never understanding its purpose until now.

"Stars," Snow breathed.

"It's a map," Hook concluded.

"To where?" David asked.

"Home," Andy finished.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT or Maleficent.**

**A/N: What were your thoughts on season 4 in general? **

**Honestly, I HATED Rumple this season! Like seriously! Compared to the Rumple in the season 3A finale, he's such a jerk. Poor Belle doesn't deserve that. :( I kinda fell asleep whenever the Snow Queen was on screen up until her final moments. :P I did enjoy Elsa and Anna, however. I just hope that the villain arc for the second part of season 4 will be better, especially with Maleficent returning! But no one can ever match up to Pan's epicness. :) I petition that they bring him back haha. Or give him his own show? Ok, rant over. **

_**Past**_

"_Come on, Andy. Wake up," she heard a distant voice plead. She vaguely felt her body being shaken. Her eyes were still closed as her mind struggled to return to reality. _

"_Andy, come on," the voice said again, louder and clear this time. _

_She wanted to tell the person that she was trying her best to open her eyes, but they wouldn't allow her. Maybe it was better to stay sleeping. It was better to pretend like this whole thing was only a dream. _

"_Wake up!" the voice demanded, slapping her firmly across the face. Her eyes shot open in shock at the abrupt sting of the person's hand._

"_Ow!" she complained, cradling her freshly slapped cheek. "What the hell was that for?"_

"_Good, you're awake," Baelfire smiled at her. _

_She sat her body up against a log nearby her head. She groaned as the magnitude of her soreness kicked in. _

"_What happened?" she asked, rubbing her head._

"_I don't know. I just saw you passed out on the ground, all alone," Baelfire reported, sympathetically. _

"_I wonder why," Andy reflected, trying to remember what had happened. She was training with Felix at one moment, exhausted. Then, the next moment was still murky to her. She couldn't remember. Maybe she had passed out from all the physical strain?_

"_I'm Baelfire by the way, if you couldn't remember," he said._

"_Of course I remember you. You tried to save me."_

"_And then you tried to save me," he smiled as Andy shook her head. "Why did you try to save me? Other than returning the favor of me trying to save you."_

"_I don't know. I guess I thought you didn't deserve whatever fate Pan had in store for you," Andy shrugged._

"_Pan wouldn't kill me; I'm apparently too valuable to lose, whatever that means," Baelfire said. "He certainly wouldn't kill you after what we all witnessed."_

"_What happened? My memories are still kinda scattered."_

"_The Dreamshade that Pan used against you, your body sorta just rejected it, I guess," Baelfire recalled. "One moment, it was travelling into your bloodstream. The next, it was travelling straight out. It was like some weird magic."_

"_I don't know how that's possible. I don't have any magic; I've never even witnessed any," Andy said truthfully._

_Baelfire shrugged. "I don't know. Pan is certainly interested in you, by the looks of it. But Andy, you can't let him win," Baelfire pleaded._

"_What do you mean? Win what? What are you talking about?"_

"_This game, whatever he's playing. You can't let him get to you and turn you into a Lost Girl. The moment you forget who you are, is the moment that you let Pan win. You and I, we understand each other. You and I both know that we can't trust Pan. You have to promise me that you and I are not gonna let him win," Baelfire said, urgency flooding his eyes._

_Andy took a moment to process the situation. She didn't understand why Pan wanted her in the first place. He didn't have to save her. Perhaps things would be a lot simpler if he had never found her in the Flood Gate. Baelfire took her silence as tentativeness and took the opportunity to elaborate upon the idea he proposed. _

_"I know that Pan saved you, but Andy, is your situation any better?"_

_"No," she scoffed bitterly. "He made it very clear to me that I'm dirt to him, a piece of property."_

_"Exactly! That's not the person you can trust. He's gonna use you, Andy, and then when he's finished with you, he'll do what he does to all the other toys he gets bored of playing with."_

_"What's that?" Andy asked, dread brewing within her. _

_"He'll get rid of you," Baelfire answered in a grave voice. _

_Silence hung thickly in the air. _

"_How are we gonna stop him from winning?" Andy asked, a pit forming in her stomach._

"_You already know how."_

_Andy tilted her head, confused._

"_You saw me stand up to him. We need to fight. If not physically, then in any other way possible. Would you rather die knowing who you are? Or would you rather die as a puppet?"_

"_I'm gonna choose myself."_

"_Right."_

"_So we need to kill Pan?" Andy asked._

_Baelfire's eyes widened. "Ssshhh! Not so loud!"_

"_Sorry!" she whispered back, hands up in defense. "Well, that's the only way to beat him isn't it?"_

"_No, that's exactly what Pan would want us to do. He wants us to have that bloodlust. To kill another is to lose who you are in the process."_

"_Meaning that we'd both become exactly like the Lost Boys," Andy sighed. "So, killing him is out of the question."_

"_Mhm," Baelfire nodded. "Besides, he's too strong."_

"_Well, what does Pan hate the most?"_

"_Losing."_

"_So, how do we make it seem like he's losing?" Andy elaborated._

_Baelfire sat in silence, deep in thought. "He only feels like he's losing when he feels threatened."_

"_So, what does that mean?"_

"_He doesn't like it when things don't go according to plan."_

"_So, you really believe that by defying his wishes, we'll be able to beat him? I'm sorry, but that doesn't seem plausible. It seems like Pan is always one step ahead," Andy sighed. "What if the only way out is literally the only way out?"_

_Baelfire cocked his head. "What do you mean?"_

"_It means that we have to find some way out of Neverland," Andy said._

"_We can figure that out."_

"_So, how do you get out of Neverland?"_

"_With his permission."_

"_How do you think we're going to get his permission by rebelling against him?"_

"_Eventually, we'll make it look like we're on his side, earn his trust and then strike while his back is turned," Baelfire explained. "It would be too obvious if he were to win us over quickly."_

"_Isn't that fighting dirty?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing._

"_We can't survive in Neverland if we play by the rules. We have to play the game like Pan in order to beat him."_

_"Ok. Fine. We have to keep this a secret though. Like you said, we can't trust Pan, meaning we can't trust anyone who's loyal to him."_

_"You're right. We need like a secret code name," Baelfire pondered, scratching his chin deep in thought. A tug pulled at the corner of his mouth. "I've got it."_

_Andy looked at him to continue._

_"Operation Tiger."_

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_The loud sound of a horn filled the air of the compound, demanding the presence of its rowdy inhabitants in the center of the camp. Lost Boys entered the stage, yelping and chanting, frenzied with the thought of the upcoming spectacle. _

_Andy walked into the camp cautiously, eyeing the chaos with curiosity. Baelfire walked in beside her and gave her a look that said that the commotion wouldn't ease her worries. _

_Pan stood on top of a tower of crates, holding a pearlescent conch shell, waiting for the show to begin. Felix and Rufio stood below him, both leaning against the tower casually and protectively. The Lost Boys crowded and shoved about, trying to get a front row seat. Andy and Baelfire stood nervously in the back. _

_"Welcome, Lost Boys!" Pan announced. The Lost Boys cheered wildly. "Today marks a very special day in the existence of Neverland." All eyes were glued to the charismatic leader. "Today, we formally welcome our very first and only ever Lost Girl, Andy Lux."_

_Pan's green eyes bored into Andy's deep brown ones like he was reaching into her soul and playing her like a puppet on strings. She gulped nervously as he eyed her intensely, hungrily. The Lost Boys cheered even louder than before, entranced by their leader's words._

_"But before she can become an official Lost Girl, she needs to complete the transformation. As a Neverland tradition, we mark our new comrades' arrival with something special - a game."_

_Andy stared at Pan with wide eyes. She turned to Baelfire for help, but he gave her a sympathetic shrug. _

_"The first round tests the strength of our new Lost Girl's imagination. Anything is possible in Neverland, but can Andy Lux believe in Neverland?" Pan questioned. He hopped down from the tower of crates, slowly advancing towards Andy with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. _

"_Believe in Neverland?" Andy questioned. "What do you mean?"_

"_Exactly as it sounds," Pan waved off. He ran his index finger down her jawline, propping her chin up so she would meet his eyes. From his pocket, he removed a vial of barren, grey dust. He held it in front of her. "You see this? This is pixie dust. Make it work."_

_He placed the vial of the dull dust in the palm of her hand. Andy furrowed her eyebrows. _

"_I don't understand..."_

"_You heard me: make it work," he said, enunciating each word as if he were talking to a toddler. "That's the first round. You make the pixie dust work to prove that your imagination is strong enough to help you survive in Neverland."_

"_But I don't know how; I've never used or seen pixie dust in my life!" Andy protested._

"_Well that's the fun of the game, isn't it? The uncertainty, the adrenaline of the unknown," Pan grinned, circling around her._

_Baelfire glared at Pan's proximity to Andy. He didn't like that hungry look in his eyes. He didn't like the way he eyed her, like she was a piece of flesh. _

_Andy looked over to Baelfire in search of support, but he merely pursed his lips, at a loss for words._

"_So, I make the pixie dust work," Andy repeated. "What happens if I can't?"_

_Pan clicked his tongue in disapproval. "If you can't believe, then we have to bring out that cute little imagination hiding inside of you with some other way."_

"_And how will you do that?"_

"_A party."_

_She scoffed. "Are you serious?" Andy shot him a deadpanned look. "You think you can force the imagination out of me with some party?"_

"_Oh but it's not just any party, you see," Pan explained, amused. "It's a Lost Boy party."_

"_A bunch of boys jumping stupidly around a fire, I don't get it," Andy sneered._

"_You'll get it soon enough," Pan glared at her. Andy swallowed nervously._

"_What about the other end of the bargain? What happens if I do get it to work?" Andy challenged._

"_Then the imagination inside of you won't need the comfort of the Lost Boys to manifest itself; you won't have to live in the compound."_

_Andy's eyes widened at the offer. She wanted to be as far away from Pan as possible. She wanted to have some sort of safe haven during her time in Neverland. This was the perfect opportunity. _

_"So you're saying, if I lose, I have to attend this Lost Boy party?"_

_"Correct."_

_"But if I win, then I can live anywhere on the island?"_

_"Correct."_

"_Deal then. I'm ready," Andy declared, determination burning her eyes._

_Pan smirked at this. "There's that fire I like. You have exactly 24 hours to make it work. Good luck," he whispered the last part in her ear._

_With those concluding words, Pan's presence disappeared as did the other Lost Boys. Andy was alone in the middle of the Dark Jungle with a small vial of useless pixie dust as her only defense. _

_She sighed, assessing the situation. _

_How do I make this work?_

_She sat on a nearby tree stump and stared at the bleak dust, holding the vial up towards the small rays of sunshine peeking through the thick canopy. _

_I have to believe in Neverland, whatever that means..._

_I really wish Baelfire were here with me, but I have to do this part alone. I have to prove to Pan, Felix, Rufio, and all of those other Lost Boys that I'm not just some pathetic little girl that Pan took mercy on. _

_Andy stared hard at the pixie dust, but nothing happened. She tried this for ten more minutes before frustration kicked in. Next, she tried to close her eyes to concentrate all of her energy on animating the dust, but still, nothing happened._

_Andy groaned tersely._

_I don't understand! Why couldn't Pan have made me do a hundred pushups instead? This is impossible!_

"_You look troubled," a voice commented._

_Andy jumped up from the stump she was sitting on and immediately braced herself for a fight._

"_Who the hell are you? What do you- Wait a minute. You're a woman," Andy said. She stared at the woman with her blonde hair in a messy bun. She was dressed in tattered, ripped clothing. However, despite all her ruggedness, there was a certain charm to her. _

_"I'm Tinkerbelle," the blonde woman responded, slowly approaching Andy, who was still suspicious. _

_"That's a strange name," Andy commented. _

_"It's not a common name, but I'm not the common fairy so..." she trailed off. _

_"What did you say you were? A fairy?" Andy questioned. Her heart jumped at the thought. This was too easy!_

_"Yes, well..."_

_"So, you have magic! You can help me!" Andy exclaimed. _

_"Not exactly..." Tink frowned. _

_"Why not? You're a fairy! You have magic and a wand and wings..." Andy trailed off, speechless when she noticed that the fairy did not bear bright wings. The smile fell of Andy's face, embarrassed at her ignorance. "Tinkerbelle, I am so sorr-"_

_"No. I don't want to hear it," she snapped. A thin frown upon her muddy face. "I don't need your sympathy." She began to walk away from Andy. _

_"I just didn't know," Andy said quietly. "Wait! Where are you going?"_

_"Back to my dark hole of despair," she spat, venom in her clear voice. _

_"Wait. Please don't go, Tinkerbelle. I didn't mean to offend you! It's just that I'm desperate. Pan gave me this task and if I don't complete it, I'll be one step closer to becoming a Lost Girl, which I really don't want to do," Andy explained. _

_Tinkerbelle stopped in her tracks, and Andy almost rammed straight into her. She stayed silent before turning to face Andy. _

_"Did you just say 'Lost Girl?'" Tinkerbelle questioned. _

_Andy nodded. "I did."_

_Tinkerbelle merely scoffed and shook her head in disbelief. "That's not possible. Pan doesn't accept girls. He only wants Lost Boys." She began to walk away again._

_"No! I'm telling the truth. Please, just listen to me," Andy pleaded, desperate. "Why would I lie about something like that?"_

_Tinkerbelle stared at her, silently agreeing to her reasoning. She sighed and nodded her head, prompting Andy to continue. _

_"My name is Andrea Lux. I used be Lilliana of Hamelin until one day I decided to leave. That night, I met a pirate named Morgan Kidd," Andy revealed. She didn't know why she was revealing her life story to someone she had just met, but she was desperate. She needed any route possible to escape from Neverland with Baelfire. "He promised to take care of me and to show me the world. I woke up later that evening to find that he had disappeared and left without me. Moments later, I was attacked by another group of pirates, left for dead, bleeding in the streets until Pan showed up and saved me." She paused to muster up the strength to complete her thoughts. "He gave me a second chance. I know I shouldn't be complaining about a second chance at life, but if I complete the transition into a Lost Girl, it wouldn't be a life worth living - one as a mindless being. Please, Tinkerbelle, you need to help me. I don't want to live the rest of my days as someone I'm not. I want to die being myself."_

_Tinkerbelle simply stared at her. Andy couldn't read her blue eyes, but she could tell that there was a hardness to them. It was if she was forcing herself to remain indifferent and stoic. Andy could sense a sadness to them._

_The fallen fairy released a sigh. "Call me Tink," she said simply._

"_Thank you Tink! Thank you-"_

"_Save the words of gratitude. You can thank me once you're off Neverland," she waved off, walking away._

"_What if you came with me? Well, Baelfire and I?" Andy offered._

_Tink stopped in her tracks, ears perking up. _

"_Go with you?" Tink questioned. "Where?"_

_"Home."_

**Present**

"What are these?" Emma asked, running her fingers along the cold stone wall. She inspected the dusty material on her fingertips. "Chalk?"

"They look like tally marks," Mary Margaret noted, observing them.

"They are," Andy said. The entire group turned and looked at her, eager for a new clue. "Sorry to disappoint, but they are exactly what they appear to be - tally marks."

"What would preteen Baelfire be counting?" Regina questioned.

"When we lived in this cave together, we had dreams of escaping the island," Andy sighed. "We counted the days we spent in Neverland so that by the time we did leave, we would know how long we had been on the island."

"Look," Mary Margaret said. She pointed to a corner on the wall where the tally marks were incomplete. "They end right here."

"So that's when Neal escaped," David concluded.

"Not exactly," Andy muttered. She lowered her eyes. "That's when we just stopped counting. It was pointless." She looked up, and Emma met her with empathetic eyes.

"When I was in the foster system, I used to keep track too," Emma shared in a small voice. Andy listened intently. Regina guiltily lowered her eyes. "I'd never finish counting too because I thought it was pointless after a while."

Emma ran her hand across the rugged stone wall once more, eyes distant and sad.

"Now, I'm afraid that Henry is feeling the same way too," she confessed. "We need to get him out of there."

"Hey, don't worry. We're gonna get him out of there," David comforted.

"Yeah, I know that. We know that. Henry? He doesn't know that," Emma sighed, frustrated, running her hands through her long blonde hair.

"So you want to send him a message?" Regina asked. "Sorry. But I'm out of stamps for the Neverland post office."

"We need to be clever about this," Emma said. "We just need to send a simple sign to let Henry know we're here. I just want to see my son."

"How? If you want to see him, he's in Pan's compound. I can get you in, but may I remind you of what happens if you enter Pan's compound without an exit plan?" Andy reminded.

"I know. I know. Trust me, Tinkerbelle," Emma struggled to say her name, "already told us that she could get us in as well, but getting out isn't guaranteed. If we can't get to him physically, maybe we could just send a message.

"I mean, I could be the messenger," Andy offered. All eyes turned towards her. "I can let Henry know whatever you want him to."

"Would you do it for us? Thanks Andy," Emma smiled. "It means a lot."

"Yeah. No problem."

She looked over to Regina who eyed her with a suspicious stare.

"Is there a problem?" Andy asked, noticing the Evil Queen's cold demeanor towards her.

"I'm just not sure if I can trust you yet. After all, you are an assassin," Regina spat.

Andy narrowed her eyes at Regina. "That may be true, but at least killing was in my job description. I couldn't say the same for you, your highness." She gave a mock curtsy, evoking an angry glare from the Evil Queen.

"Alright ladies, let's simmer down a bit," Hook said, stepping in between the two. "Lady Lux has already proven to us on several occasions that we can trust her."

"Really? Name one," Regina dared with a bittersweet smile.

"Well, she did, after all, bring us to this cave," Hook pointed out.

"Woopdie doo," Regina rolled her eyes. "She tried to kill us and blew up your ship, Hook. Who's to say that she won't try and poison us while we're not looking?"

"May I remind you that poisoning food is your specialty, Regina?" Mary Margaret pointed out. A small gleam of guilt flashed across the Evil Queen's hardened eyes.

"Whatever, that was in the past," she waved off, avoiding eye contact with anyone at the moment.

"Exactly. And the fact that I tried to kill you is in the past as well. Can we move on?" Andy demanded, frustrated with the Evil Queen's resistance.

"Fine," Regina frowned. "But I still don't trust you, Assassin."

"That's fine by me because I still don't trust you, your highness," Andy returned with a forced smile. "Now that we're passed that unnecessary bump in the road, what do you want me to tell Henry?"

"Actually, instead of just hearing relayed messages via Lost Girl, why not see him?" Regina suggested. She pulled a small pocket mirror out of her bright blue blazer and snapped it in half. She put one half back in her pocket and grudgingly placed the other in the palm of Andy's hand. She waved her hand over the mirror, making it glow a purple aura before reverting back to normalcy. "I've enchanted it so that we can actually both hear and see Henry. Give this half to him."

"I will," Andy nodded, standing up from the crate she was sitting on. She slipped the mirror into the pocket of her pants.

"Just don't be stupid and get caught by Pan," Regina warned in a stern tone.

"Don't worry. Being stupid wasn't a part of the job description," she joked, giving a small salute as she made her way out the cave. Once she reached the exit, she was stopped.

"Love, wait up," Hook called, jogging to catch up with her.

"Yes Hook? What is it?" she asked, curious brown eyes melting into a sea of burning blues.

His breath caught in his throat. He had never noticed how beautiful her eyes were before, so warm and comforting. There was no longer a wall of hostility to them. They were clear and bright, entrancing him in a hopeless daze.

Andy raised her eyebrow at him, confused by the strange look on his face. "Hook? What's up? What do you need?"

Hook cleared his throat, snapping himself out of a daze. He whispered in a low voice, sending chills across the surface of her skin, "I just wanted to let you know that I, too, know what it feels like to be outcasted."

Andy raised her eyebrow at him as she eyed their proximity. She let out a small laugh. "Hook, I know what you're trying to do."

"And what is that, love?"

"Are you trying to seduce me with your sensitivity?" she boldly asked.

"Why? Is it working?" he asked with a grin.

Andy rolled her eyes at him. "Nice try, but I don't have time to deal with…this." She turned around to continue out of the cave, but Hook grabbed her wrist. Her heart jumped at the contact of his skin against hers.

"And what exactly is this?"

"This is…" Andy lost her train of thought. His lips were only centimeters away from hers.

Hook wore a smug smirk on his face at her inability to function due to the close proximity of their lips.

"This is a waste of time," Andy finished, letting out a small laugh and pulling away from his hand. "This is your way of trying to win me over, Hook."

"Win you over? I already know I've got you."

"That's a very bold claim, captain. Bold, but dangerous."

"Fine. I just wanted to know when you'd be back."

"Was that so difficult to ask?" The corners of Andy's mouth pulled up into a grin. "Why? Don't tell me you're getting attached, captain."

"Well, just judging by the way Regina treated you, I was afraid you'd shifted sides."

Andy swallowed, trying to mask her guilt. "Well, you have nothing to worry about. I'll be back tomorrow."

Hook gave her a smile, making her heart race faster. "That's what I like to hear, love."

"And thank you for that, stepping in between me and Regina."

"It was a pleasure," he winked. "I'd step anywhere you'd ask me to."

"You are hopeless." Andy rolled her eyes once more before exiting the cave to return to Pan's compound.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hook leaned lazily against a tree, contemplating his situation. His face couldn't help but stretch into a grin at the thought of seeing her again tomorrow. He felt absolutely idiotic and inane at this happiness. He hadn't felt this feeling in a long time. Not since…

_Milah._

A frown began to replace his goofy grin. Were his growing affections for the Lost Girl an insult to Milah's memory? Was it wrong of him to find himself drawn towards this Lost Girl after her promised Milah that he would love her forever, even after death? The situation felt wrong, horribly wrong.

Hook was a pirate of good form, and breaking a promise was bad form. He promised Milah his eternal love, and here came a complete stranger, filling the hole in his heart with a single glance, a batting of thick, dark eyelashes, a touch of smooth, tan skin, or bite of the lip.

_No. It can't be. _

He couldn't possibly have these feelings about the Lost Girl, especially after just meeting her! She was a complete stranger to him as he was to her. These feelings had to be purely carnal, correct? There was no possible way that a complete stranger could bear him total happiness. Perhaps, all he needed was a way to purge these carnal desires to rid him of these licentious thoughts about this Lost Girl. Perhaps, these feelings about this Lost Girl were purely ephemeral.

"What were you grinning about?" David scowled, walking towards him.

"Nothing," Hook lied. He bit his tongue. That was a horrible answer.

"You're lying."

_This prince is one stubborn ass._

"Well, what did you expect?" Hook fake smiled.

David eyed him cautiously. "You're right. I should've expected you to lie. You're nothing but a pirate," he spat, walking away.

Hook sighed.

_I wasn't always, mate._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Andy made her way back to the compound. Pan was surely expecting her by now. For some strange reason, she couldn't fight to remove the smile on her face. It was strange. She felt stupid and foolish wearing the smile. Sunniness wasn't her conventional disposition. Happiness wasn't her trademark look.

_Why the hell am I smiling like a stupid toddler?_

She couldn't help but notice that there was an extra spring to her step.

_What on earth?_

She hadn't felt this way since she and Baelfire were living in the cave together, away from Pan. It was strange, this happiness. She hadn't experienced the feeling in so long. Why would she have a reason to feel it now? Unless…

_No. Absolutely not. That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard._

It couldn't be. She could not be happy because of…Hook?

_Dear God, please. Anybody but him._

Why did it have to be him? He was a smug pirate. It was a pirate who had caused her to end up in Neverland in the first place with his betrayal. She never really learned, did she?

_He's just a pirate with physical needs, no moral compass. He's bad news._

This reasoning was sound.

_Hook can't make me happy. _

Andy's heart dropped at the thought of this. It was true. A pirate couldn't make her happy, especially after what had happened to her all those years ago on the streets of the Flood Gate.

She needed to forget about Hook and focus on her personal mission, to honor Bae's memory by helping his son. She couldn't let Hook be the obstacle in her path.

_I need a way to distract myself from him._ _But how? _

She needed to purge herself of these thoughts of Hook. She needed to distract herself in the only way she knew how - Pan.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He was sitting on a log by the fire alone, playing his pipe as the Lost Boys slept. Andy entered the stage, immune to the spell of the pipe. His eyes were shut, lost in his own spell, his music. He didn't see her stand right in front of him.

Her heart was racing madly, uncontrollable over her body. She grabbed the pipe from his mouth, throwing it to the ground. His green eyes snapped open, looking straight into hers, eyebrows furrowed at her presence. He opened his mouth to speak, to question, but she simply shook her head. It wasn't the time for speaking.

She was in control. His confusion bound him to her every will. She cupped his face in her hand, running her thumb across his bottom lip. How gentle and innocent he looked under her magic-less spell. He was breathless.

She pulled his face to hers, lips hovering over his. He inched forward, dying to close the gap between them. However, it wasn't his night to do the commanding. She maintained the gap between them, pulling away ever so slightly to keep him under her control like a puppet.

"Andy," he whispered, his hot breath dancing into her mouth. "What are you-"

"Shh," she silenced him with a slender finger pressed to his lips. "Not now Peter."

She had never said his first name before, even after all his attempts to coax her into using it. He was defenseless against her power. She was winning this game.

The sound of her voice alone was enough to send him over the edge. His lips crashed against hers hungrily, his mind lost in a heat of passion.

This was who she was – emotionally detached, vacant, and incapable of letting her guard down. She wouldn't allow some pirate transform her into some pathetic, lovesick girl. No. She was a Lost Girl, and despite her loyalty to Baelfire and Henry, she would never change. Hook couldn't change her.

**A/N: Happy Holidays! Sorry for the long delay! I was quite busy with the holiday season this year. Hope you have a happy New Year!**


End file.
